--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was possible to look at actual…" description: "\"“It was possible to look at actual smartphones and tablets and laptops that had been manufactured on Old Earth. They did not work anymore, but their te..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/neal-stephenson-362_attention-span_it-was-possible-to-look-at-actual-smartp_338033.jpg" --- # It was possible to look at actual smartphones and tablets… ![“It was possible to look at actual smartphones and tablets and laptops that had been manufactured on Old Earth. They did not work anymore, but their technical capabilities were described on little placards. And they were impressive compared to what Kath Two and other modern people carried around in…” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/neal-stephenson-362_attention-span_it-was-possible-to-look-at-actual-smartp_338033.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/neal-stephenson-362_attention-span_it-was-possible-to-look-at-actual-smartp_338033.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/neal-stephenson-362_attention-span_it-was-possible-to-look-at-actual-smartp_338033.jpg) > ““It was possible to look at actual smartphones and tablets and laptops that had been manufactured on Old Earth. They did not work anymore, but their technical capabilities were described on little placards. And they were impressive compared to what Kath Two and other modern people carried around in their pockets. This ran contrary to most people's intuition, since in other areas the achievements of the modern world - the habitat ring, the Eye, and all the rest - were so vastly greater than what the people of Old Earth had ever accomplished. It boiled down to Amistics \[the choices that different cultures made as to which technologies they would, and would not, make part of their lives\]. In the decades before Zero, the Old Earthers had focused their intelligence on the small and the soft, not the big and the hard, and built a civilization that was puny and crumbling where physical infrastructure was concerned, but astonishingly sophisticated when it came to networked communications and software. The density with which they'd been able to pack transistors onto chips still had not been matched by any fabrication plant now in existence. Their devices could hold more data than anything you could buy today. Their ability to communicate through all sorts of wireless schemes was only now being matched - and that only in densely populated, affluent places like the Great Chain... Anyone who bothered to learn the history of the developed world in the years just before Zero understood perfectly well that Tavistock Prowse had been squarely in the middle of the normal range, as far as his social media habits and attention span had been concerned. But nevertheless, Blues called it Tav's Mistake. They didn't want to make it again. Any efforts made by modern consumer-goods manufacturers to produce the kinds of devices and apps that had disordered the brain of Tav were met with the same instinctive pushback as Victorian clergy might have directed against the inventor of a masturbation machine. To the extent the Blue's engineers could build electronics of comparable sophistication to those that Tav had used, they tended to put them into devices such as robots...”” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts the high‑density, software‑centric tech of Old Earth with the massive but less refined hardware of later societies, showing how cultural choices shape technological focus. **In simple terms:** Old Earth excelled in software and networking, later societies built big hardware. Key Takeaway Recognize how cultural priorities affect tech development. Themes technology culture progress tradeoffs Mood reflective analytical Type explanatory speculative When to use this quote - science fiction world‑building - tech policy analysis - comparative tech history Key Concepts software density hardware scaling cultural determinism Questions to Reflect On - What trade‑offs does your culture make in tech? - How can we balance hardware and software innovation? A Different Perspective Later societies may overlook software elegance for hardware size. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention span](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-span/) [Different cultures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-cultures/) [Modern world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-world/) [Sci fi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sci-fi/) [Social media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-media/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Transistors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transistors/) ## Related quotes > [“Modern people are calibrated for a whole different level of danger acceptance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/modern-people-are-calibrated-for-a-whole-different-level-of-danger/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [I love using the latest technologies to make life more efficient, but I don't want to advocate that technology replaces the need to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-webb/i-love-using-the-latest-technologies-to-make-life-more-efficient-but/) [Maynard Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-webb/) > [“Today our challenge is to both imagine and create the new technologies that can make the 21st century more peaceful and prosperous than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/today-our-challenge-is-to-both-imagine-and-create-the-new/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [These technologies can make life easier, can let us touch people we might not otherwise. You may have a child with a birth defect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/these-technologies-can-make-life-easier-can-let-us-touch-people-we/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [All we're really doing is repeating technologies that were tried 10, 20, 30 years ago... it's just that it was too expensive, too unusable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-levie/all-we-re-really-doing-is-repeating-technologies-that-were-tried-10/) [Aaron Levie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-levie/) > [“The very technologies that make it hard for us to maintain healthy boundaries among domains also enable us to blend them in ways—unfathomable even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvard-business-review/the-very-technologies-that-make-it-hard-for-us-to-maintain-healthy/) [Harvard Business Review](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvard-business-review/) > [Perhaps some day, modern people will learn that mystery is not the prison of the mind of people, it is their home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-farrell/perhaps-some-day-modern-people-will-learn-that-mystery-is-not-the/) Walter Farrell > [Perhaps these ancient observatories like Stonehenge perennially impress modern people because modern people have no idea how the Sun, Moon, or stars move. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/perhaps-these-ancient-observatories-like-stonehenge-perennially/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Modern people are just like ancient ones, only more numerous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/modern-people-are-just-like-ancient-ones-only-more-numerous/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [It is especially difficult for modern people to conceive that our modern, scientific age might not be an improvement over the prescientific period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/it-is-especially-difficult-for-modern-people-to-conceive-that-our/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-modern-people-think-of-miracles-as-the-suspension-of-the-natural-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Modern people are only willing to believe in their computers, while I believe in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-robert/modern-people-are-only-willing-to-believe-in-their-computers-while-i/) [Alain Robert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-robert/) > [“This is the only period in all human history when people were proud of being modern. For though to-day is always to-day and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/this-is-the-only-period-in-all-human-history-when-people-were-proud/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“modern people think that any one who makes himself slightly uncomfortable in public will immediately be uproariously popular.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/modern-people-think-that-any-one-who-makes-himself-slightly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [modern people have seen too many chemicals and are ready to go back to eating dirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/modern-people-have-seen-too-many-chemicals-and-are-ready-to-go-back/) [Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Attention span quotes > [One of the great things about being an actor is it serves a short attention span, which is something I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-mack/one-of-the-great-things-about-being-an-actor-is-it-serves-a-short/) [Allison Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-mack/) > [“I have been so struck by the mettle of the men who founded this country and wrote the Constitution. What unbelievable persistence and integrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-cash/i-have-been-so-struck-by-the-mettle-of-the-men-who-founded-this/) [Rosanne Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-cash/) > [College wasn't for us. We just didn't have the attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-bella/college-wasn-t-for-us-we-just-didn-t-have-the-attention-span/) [Brie Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-bella/) > [I sometimes worry about my short attention span, but not for long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-sometimes-worry-about-my-short-attention-span-but-not-for-long/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [It's a double-headed coin, because technology is a convenience but it's stifled our attention spans. At one time, albums had songs that were like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cee-lo-green/it-s-a-double-headed-coin-because-technology-is-a-convenience-but-it/) [Cee Lo Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cee-lo-green/) > [“Daemon had not stayed. My smile slipped from my face. He was standing by the window, his back to me. “I got bored.” “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/daemon-had-not-stayed-my-smile-slipped-from-my-face-he-was-standing/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [There will be a competition among critics for the best Paris Hilton insult. Here's my first: Her attention span is so short that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-edelstein/there-will-be-a-competition-among-critics-for-the-best-paris-hilton/) [David Edelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-edelstein/) > [Twenty20 is cricket on speed. In an era of hectic lifestyles and falling attention spans, it gives spectators more drama and intensity in three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/twenty20-is-cricket-on-speed-in-an-era-of-hectic-lifestyles-and/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [For years, particularly with the advent of the Internet, people have been griping about lessening attention spans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/for-years-particularly-with-the-advent-of-the-internet-people-have/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [People have an infinite attention span if you are entertaining them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/people-have-an-infinite-attention-span-if-you-are-entertaining-them/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I didn't really want to be an actor when I was growing up - I wanted to be whatever I was reading about or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-sudeikis/i-didn-t-really-want-to-be-an-actor-when-i-was-growing-up-i-wanted-to/) [Jason Sudeikis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-sudeikis/) > [Now, for my younger viewers out there, a book is something we used to have before the internet. It’s sort of a blog for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/now-for-my-younger-viewers-out-there-a-book-is-something-we-used-to/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“How in the world did they just jump from politics, to a ball, and now to daimon attacks? And here I’d thought I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/how-in-the-world-did-they-just-jump-from-politics-to-a-ball-and-now/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [You don’t pay attention man/that’s why your money is the size of your attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-dilla/you-don-t-pay-attention-man-that-s-why-your-money-is-the-size-of-your/) [J Dilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-dilla/) > [I think, first of all, you know, Washington has a bad habit of a very short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-think-first-of-all-you-know-washington-has-a-bad-habit-of-a-very/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) [Browse all 298 Attention span quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-span/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was possible to look at actual smartphones and tablets and laptops that had been manufactured on Old Earth. They did not work anymore, but their technical capabilities were described on little placards. And they were impressive compared to what Kath Two and other modern people carried around in their pockets. This ran contrary to most people's intuition, since in other areas the achievements of the modern world - the habitat ring, the Eye, and all the rest - were so vastly greater than what the people of Old Earth had ever accomplished. It boiled down to Amistics [the choices that different cultures made as to which technologies they would, and would not, make part of their lives]. In the decades before Zero, the Old Earthers had focused their intelligence on the small and the soft, not the big and the hard, and built a civilization that was puny and crumbling where physical infrastructure was concerned, but astonishingly sophisticated when it came to networked communications and software. The density with which they'd been able to pack transistors onto chips still had not been matched by any fabrication plant now in existence. Their devices could hold more data than anything you could buy today. Their ability to communicate through all sorts of wireless schemes was only now being matched - and that only in densely populated, affluent places like the Great Chain... Anyone who bothered to learn the history of the developed world in the years just before Zero understood perfectly well that Tavistock Prowse had been squarely in the middle of the normal range, as far as his social media habits and attention span had been concerned. But nevertheless, Blues called it Tav's Mistake. They didn't want to make it again. Any efforts made by modern consumer-goods manufacturers to produce the kinds of devices and apps that had disordered the brain of Tav were met with the same instinctive pushback as Victorian clergy might have directed against the inventor of a masturbation machine. 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