Law of Accelerating Returns

Ray Kurzweil - extending and generalizing Moore's Law
An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense 'intuitive linear' view. So we won’t experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century — it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today’s rate).
We are using better tools to make better tools.
  • How did Bill Gates and Microsoft write an operating system without a PC?
  • How did Intel design a microprocessor integrated circuit chip … without a microprocessor?