2012-12-24

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2012-12-24

Title text: 2012-12-24

Votey

Explanation

This explanation is either missing or incomplete.

Transcript

This transcript was generated by a bot: The text was scraped using AWS's Textract, which may have errors. Complete transcripts should also describe what happens in each panel.

[Describe panel here]

"Scarcity"

"Economics," said the fat man, "is the study of the allocation of scarce resources

"

The fat woman nodded.

• However,' he continued. searching through the papers on his desk for particular

one, "that is only recent definition. In the past, economics has been the study of

the allocation of very scarce resources.'

She nodded.

"Prior to that, was extremely scarce resources. At this point, he located a

drawing of the descent of man. This drawing was unusual in that each evolu-

tionary stage, the hominids were arguing with each other over something in the

middle of them "In fact,' he said, handing the image to her. economics can be traced all the way back to particular March in .332.014 B.C during which a

group of sapiens in sub-Saharan Africa had to divvy up turnip. At that time. eco-

nomics was defined as the study of the allocation of this one turnip."

"How was resolved?"

'Of course that lost to history in its particulars, he said "However there is

reason to believe that was resolved through the application of Newton's Second Law, as embodied in fist."

'How primitive, she said.

"Indeed. These would have been hominids too simple to make use of the laws of

thermodynamics to resolve turnip disputes, much less the laws of 'relativity.

She wrote this down He appreciated this, and moved him togo on

"Now. the point here this the study of economics is the study of moving

target. It began sthe study of how allocate few very rare things Then

became the study of how to allocate few moderately rare things With the advent

of cold fusion 30 years ago, reached what can be considered an inflection point.'

The post-scarcity society," she ventured.

"Wrong! he shouted. thrusting finger into the air. "The entire last generation of

econometricians made the selfsame mistake. No. don't you see? If nothing is

scarce, what scarce?"

She hesitated. It was important to her that she not look foolish to the new boss

"Nothing?"

"Wrong! If there are no scarce resources, the only scarce resource is scarce

resources."

don't follow.

"If everyone has everything, the only thing scarce is something nobody else has

She nodded.

'We ve already seen it in virtual goods. In an artificial universe, resource scarcity

can be created for relatively low price. But the fact that it is artificial ruins it If

the stray click of key can generate infinity of something, it i not scarce in any real sense.

She nodded again and crossed her legs.

• Don't you see,' he said. "We're sitting on goldmine here!"

He reached into desk drawer and pulled out wooden box

"What is it?" she asked.

He opened Inside was bright red apple, kept slightly chilled and moist by its

container. Three evenly spaced drops of dew glistened on the yellow dapples near stem.

"It's an apple,' she said

• Have bite."

She indicated herself. He nodded. She grimaced, then put down her notepad With

a slight tremble, she reached out her right hand for the fruit. Its red skin was as

flawless as the red lipstick she spent twenty minutes applying that morning Her teeth pressed through its exterior into moist white meat It was amazing

She shivered with delight as she crushed the sweet flesh her molars

• very single apple just like that one.' he said. grinning, "has just turned into

maggots!"

She swallowed, eyes wide.

"We sold hundreds of them!" he said. standing from his chair and turning around

to

look out the window. The cityscape was gorgeous mass of glass and French

curves. "We sold nine hundred -ninety -nine. to be precise. But the buyers didn't

know! If you were wealthy enough, you be able purchase this one maggot-

free apple for very high price.

I'm not sure people want this," she said.

"Fah! Why. it's already been tried in number of natural experiments we 've

tracked. For example, diamonds are not terribly rare creation of Nature But their

access was restricted and they became more popular than ever. Mind vou, we can't

afford the necessary lawsuits to have number of poor people killed whenever an

apple eaten. but this the next best thing.

Isee,' said.

'And that's not all! This box. in which the apple sits? It's pure Canadian pine. When your pinky brushed against just moment ago. released pine-eating beetle onto every such pine the world.'

"That's horrible!" she shouted

"Madame, this the post scarcity world of scarcity. No doubt those beetles will be transmuted into some useful substance. and those trees will return within weeks

But, for the moment. you are the only one to have Canadian pine.'

She recoiled this idea. but nevertheless found herself attracted to the wooden

box. its mellow brown sinews expertly carved and sanded. She touched for a

second time. It was hard and just little cold.

He smiled her.

"But." she said. still working through the implications "Won't the maggot-eaters mad?"

• WRONG! They be delighted! Mind you, not as delighted as the person eating

the apple. BUT. these people will each have an experience only had by 998 other individuals."

Isee,' she said slowly. "But then, you can't mass produce these."

"By definition, no. But we can produce more varieties We have prototype

orange that turns into locusts and banana that begs for mercy when you eat it

He held up white velvet box and opened it. exposing small yellow fruit, which screamed *LET ME GO! HAVE FAMILY! until he closed the container.

"IfI may,' she said. "If may, seems that that you 're mainly just introducing

ugly things into people's lives and then offering to take them away."

And that the new economics, madame.' He smiled. "Take note. Economics is

Caption: the study of the creation of scarce resources.'

Votey Transcript

This transcript was generated by a bot: The text was scraped using AWS's Textract, which may have errors. Complete transcripts should also describe what happens in each panel.

[Describe panel here]

Aren't you a cartoonist?

Banana: !

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