”Thus it is clear that the human race has at best a very limited capacity for solving even straightforward social problems. How then is it going to solve the far more difficult and subtle problem of reconciling freedom with technology? Technology presents clear-cut material advantages, whereas freedom is an abstraction that means different things to different people, and its loss is easily obscured by propaganda and fancy talk.”
Ted Kaczynsky, aka The UnAbomber, who was arrested on this date in 1996.
Happy birthday, Nick.
As fate would have it, another inpsiration had a child exactly two years later: Paris Michael Katherine Jackson
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About Stearns
Howard Stearns works at High Fidelity, Inc., creating the metaverse.
Mr. Stearns has a quarter century experience in systems engineering, applications consulting, and management of advanced software technologies. He was the technical lead of University of Wisconsin's Croquet project, an ambitious project convened by computing pioneer Alan Kay to transform collaboration through 3D graphics and real-time, persistent shared spaces. The CAD integration products Mr. Stearns created for expert system pioneer ICAD set the market standard through IPO and acquisition by Oracle. The embedded systems he wrote helped transform the industrial diamond market. In the early 2000s, Mr. Stearns was named Technology Strategist for Curl, the only startup founded by WWW pioneer Tim Berners-Lee. An expert on programming languages and operating systems, Mr. Stearns created the Eclipse commercial Common Lisp programming implementation.
Mr. Stearns has two degrees from M.I.T., and has directed family businesses in early childhood education and publishing.
Wow, only 8 years ago. Seems like a lifetime.
I’ve been thinking about doing a story on Kaczyski as political prisoner –because he was not allowed to use the defense he wanted to use. As I recall (and I may have these facts completely wrong), Kaczynski wanted to make the argument that he did the crimes, but in order to prevent something far worse. I’m thinking of Winston Churchill’s decision to let the city of Coventry be destroyed rather than tip the Germans to the fact that the Brits had cracked enigma. His (in)action led directly to the deaths of thousands.
If I were on K’s jury, and if he made that argument, it’s highly unlikely that I would have voted for aquital (or a lesser charge). However, the guy was on trial for his life, and he should have been able to make whatever arguement he wanted to make in his own defense.
Well, I should get my facts right before I say anything more. But there may be a wetmachine essay in there someplace. . .
Or maybe not. People already think I’m nutso on this subject. No need to invite further misunderstandings. . .