‘Make the world a better place’

Seconds later, deGrasse Tyson turned out to be the least of the problem. Apple also trots out McKinsey’s James Manyika in the video, who starts off his quote with a phrase that should never be heard at tech conferences: “If you think the industrial revolution was transformational…”

I wasn’t in San Francisco for WWDC, but I can only imagine the crowd at the keynote either fell silent or started howling uncontrollably as he finished that sentence: “…the App Store is way bigger.”

It requires a special kind of chutzpah to compare any innovation to the industrial revolution. But to actually suggest that a collection of apps – a million or so fart soundboards, greedy casual games, and programs that help you get through you email a fraction faster – is anywhere close to the industrial revolution is beyond delusional.

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who did a triple-take when this was said in Apple’s App Store video last night. If this is truly how Apple feels about its contributions to the world – and everything points in the direction that it does – then the company has lost all sense of perspective and has transcended its usual playful arrogance towards full-on insanity.

Very disappointed in Neil deGrasse Tyson, too, for making similarly outrageous claims in this video.

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