My super rough impression here is many of the younger people on the project were the grad students of the senior researchers on the project; such an age distribution seems like it would’ve been really common throughout most academia if so.
In my perception, the criticism levelled against EA is different. The version I’ve seen people argue revolves around EA lacking the hierarchy of experience required to restrain the worst impulses of having a lot of young people in concentration. The Manhattan Project had an unusual amount of intellectual freedom for a military project, sure, but it also did have a pretty defined hierarchy that would’ve restrained those impulses. Nor do I think EA necessarily lacks leadership, but I think it does lack a permission structure.
And I think that gets to the heart of the actual criticism. An age-based one is, well, blatantly ageist and not worth paying attention to. But that lack of a permission structure might be important!
My super rough impression here is many of the younger people on the project were the grad students of the senior researchers on the project; such an age distribution seems like it would’ve been really common throughout most academia if so.
In my perception, the criticism levelled against EA is different. The version I’ve seen people argue revolves around EA lacking the hierarchy of experience required to restrain the worst impulses of having a lot of young people in concentration. The Manhattan Project had an unusual amount of intellectual freedom for a military project, sure, but it also did have a pretty defined hierarchy that would’ve restrained those impulses. Nor do I think EA necessarily lacks leadership, but I think it does lack a permission structure.
And I think that gets to the heart of the actual criticism. An age-based one is, well, blatantly ageist and not worth paying attention to. But that lack of a permission structure might be important!
It’s notable in that respect that the chart is for the “scientific employees.”
That’s true I’m assuming that doesn’t include managers, accountants, support staff who might be older on average?