CMU professor Pegden's thought experiment: how long to recover with knowledge but no infrastructure
CMU math professor Wes Pegden posed a thought experiment challenging AI optimism: if 1990 humanity lost nearly all physical technology and infrastructure but kept prior knowledge, how long would recovery take? He extends it by asking how long 14th-century residents would take to complain their electric cars can't fly if 10,000 experts from 2026 were sent back to 1300.
2026-11-11 ~ 2026-11-11 · 2 related posts
- Episode 1: CMU professor Pegden's thought experiment: how long to recover with knowledge but no infrastructure(2026-11-11, 2 posts)
- Episode 2: Manheim responds to Pegden: knowledge rebuilds industry but only to 1950s level(2026-11-11, 2 posts)
- CMU math professor Wes Pegden's thought experiment punctures 'LLMs = star colonization in 10 years' — WesPegden · 2026-11-11
- Pegden continues: 10,000 experts dropped into 1300 — when do locals complain EVs can't fly? — WesPegden · 2026-11-11