If a person from 1700 asked you your job, would they understand your answer, and if not, how would you explain it to them?

JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml – 271 points –
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First I'd have to explain electricity. Then I'd have to explain electric circuits.... And the function of different components

THEN i could try to explain what my job was

there's these things called electrons that are moved when you move a magnet relative to a conductor material, such as copper, these electrons have more power than steam. Switches are signal devices, like valves in a steam engine. We used to use them, for instance, to make a signal pass or not pass. These switches have, over the years, been manufactured to an astounding billions per square inch, they are all called transistors and have no moving parts. Four equations will be sufficient to describe the situation.

In 1700 steam engines weren't far in the future, but not invented yet.

perhaps in the same way we could understand the concept of AGI but haven't achieved it [... yet?]