I think there are some basic incentives—most critically education—that nearly everyone ought to be able to agree on. The essential idea is to replicate (albeit artificially) some of the incentives associated with traditional jobs. In an age when more education may not always lead to an improved career path, it’s important to ensure that everyone ha

chance to also specialize and thereby earn a higher income.

History shows that companies nearly always choose to protect their established revenue streams.* If the kind of revolution that Brin envisions is to unfold, it may have to arise outside the automotive industry.

Udacity has also partnered with the Georgia Institute of Technology to offer the first MOOC-based master’s degree in computer science. Tuition for the three-semester program will cost just $6,600—about 80 percent less than a traditional on-campus degree.

The soaring fortunes of those at the very top may ultimately represent a threat to democratic governance.

In general, I think the fact that some people would elect to work less—or perhaps even not at all—should not be viewed in universally negative terms.

Diminishing Job Creation, Lengthening Jobless Recoveries, and Soaring Long-Term Unemployment

The critical point here is that while many factors, such as the level of research and development effort and investment, or the presence of a favorable regulatory environment, can certainly have an impact on the relative position of technology S-curves, the most important factor by far is the set of physical laws that govern the sphere of technolog

Start talking about more money for schools, charter schools, firing bad teachers, paying good teachers more, longer school days (or years), or vouchers for private schools, and the situation will rapidly degrade into political intractability.