tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4426331239878441437.post5590672962555313800..comments2024-03-25T11:05:45.742-04:00Comments on The Embroiderer's Story: So Why Teach Robotics?Thistle Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15902743321404395332noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4426331239878441437.post-8158329542626994982017-03-09T15:07:04.123-05:002017-03-09T15:07:04.123-05:00I'm old enough to remember the shock wave that...I'm old enough to remember the shock wave that passed across America when the then USSR launched Sputnik in 1959. This resulted in a national push to foster interest an achievement in science and engineering in schools across the country and the race with the Russians culminating in the lunar landing of Apollo 11 in 1969.<br />Many of us were caught up in this process and went on to become my generations' workers in these fields. Some of us went into basic science,or engineering and some of us went into clinical/applied science,like me. Some did both. My room mate in medical school was a EE(electrical engineer for those not familiar.)<br />I believe a national effort is required again, and Obama's administration shouldn't have been so quiet about it.<br />Mike Rowe (Dirtiest Jobs, Somebody's Got To Do It) has testified several times before Congress. His message boils down to an assertion that we need to make work "cool" again. Which means, of course, higher social status and rewards for people in jobs that have come to be looked down on in our society because they didn't require a college degree.<br />That's not to say that they don't require years of training and experience. A master plumber or master welder, woodworker, etc., is just as worthy of respect and financial success as an academically trained individual.<br />One more point: We're running out of people who know how to fix things. Tricia has commented on many occasions about the attrition in craftspeople and that they can't get anyone interested enough to pass the knowledge to. <br />We need to make working with your hands as cool as working with your head to attract individuals to these jobs. Mike Rowe commented in his testimony that there are large numbers of positions for welders in this country going unfilled due to lack of enough people with these skills.<br />I agree with Tricia, someone is going to have to fix all of those robots.Claudia McDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12745175620205216600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4426331239878441437.post-59567981650039453642017-03-05T14:07:29.331-05:002017-03-05T14:07:29.331-05:00You need to change that last instruction. Whether...You need to change that last instruction. Whether you have kids or grandkids is irrelevant, if you are under 40 (and maybe under 60). Too many people have given ZERO thought to how the job market is changing and how quickly it is changing. First of all, traditional manufacturing jobs that pay $30 an hour with benefits will never happen again without strong unions, and aren't likely to happen again anyway for the reasons you set out. But it isn't just manufacturing or even blue collar jobs. Lawyers and accountants are already being replaced by AI, and programmers are starting to be replaced by AI as well. When was the last time you dealt with a bank teller? Most mortgage loans are being processed and approved by algorithm. The next question is what do you do when somewhere between 20% and 40% of your population is completely unemployable? That is the expected percentage beyond which social unrest is expected to make a society unsustainable. If you think your job is safe and you haven't looked at the future of automation, artificial intelligence and 3d printing; odds are pretty good that you are fooling yourself. I'm a 52-year-old self-employed lawyer, and I pretty well expect that I will be able to make a living as long as I need to. If I were 10 years younger I wouldn't be so sure. Elaine Dowlinghttp://www.dowlinglawoffice.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4426331239878441437.post-17070222661521125152017-03-05T11:25:35.578-05:002017-03-05T11:25:35.578-05:00Thank you. Thank you. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01520734927774755890noreply@blogger.com