So in the specific original instance, I think there were actually better things we could have been doing. But Edison’s favorite aphorism applies: That would have required thinking.
Possibly there is some more detailed analogy to be made about confronting uncertainty and tending to under-explore and over-exploit.
Almost no human actions are anywhere near optimal towards optimising long term real world goals. Optimal seeking of long term real world goals looks like a superintelligence seeking the minimum time path to nanotechnology.
There are always better things you could be doing, the question is if you will think of a better thing to do given a little more thinking?
So in the specific original instance, I think there were actually better things we could have been doing. But Edison’s favorite aphorism applies: That would have required thinking.
Possibly there is some more detailed analogy to be made about confronting uncertainty and tending to under-explore and over-exploit.
Almost no human actions are anywhere near optimal towards optimising long term real world goals. Optimal seeking of long term real world goals looks like a superintelligence seeking the minimum time path to nanotechnology.
There are always better things you could be doing, the question is if you will think of a better thing to do given a little more thinking?