This is an example of why technological skepticism arguments rarely are useful. The skeptic always makes unwarranted assumptions about how the technology must work. He then shows that it really can’t work like that. And then, like Vizzini in the Princess Bride, he announces that it is inconceivable that it might work any other way.
This is to some extent a problem when talking about very broad or very vague technologies. However, technological skepticism can be warranted in specific instances. For example, if I said that soon we’ll have teleportation machines to transport people you’d be right to be skeptical. On the other hand, I can confidently predict that the efficiency of solar panels will continue to go up over the next ten years, even though I have no idea how that will occur.
Moreover, when people are discussing specific paths for a technology, it isn’t at all unreasonable to look at any given path and say “oh, proponents say this is a likely path. Well, it has problems X,Y and Z”.
This is to some extent a problem when talking about very broad or very vague technologies. However, technological skepticism can be warranted in specific instances. For example, if I said that soon we’ll have teleportation machines to transport people you’d be right to be skeptical. On the other hand, I can confidently predict that the efficiency of solar panels will continue to go up over the next ten years, even though I have no idea how that will occur.
Moreover, when people are discussing specific paths for a technology, it isn’t at all unreasonable to look at any given path and say “oh, proponents say this is a likely path. Well, it has problems X,Y and Z”.