Thursday, July 26, 2012

Race Against the Machine

Note how this speaker puts a positive spin on technology. For you, I would too. Somebody will need to repair and maintain the machines. (;


Also note, about 5 minutes in, his comment about the self driving car and the effect that this may have on the trucking industry.


6 comments:

  1. Very interesting topic, most likely beyond my mental capacity. His remarks at the end about how technology will free us from poverty and allow us to do things we want, in my opinion, is pretty pretentious of him. I can see everyday people and their smart phones that are more disconnected with real life than people were before, generally speaking. It's cool to see that technology helped villages out so much, but I believe there is a 'red line' in the graph where the technology overcomes our lives in a daily fashion. Think Bladerunner. Of course, that's me speaking without any real data knowledge... just common sense. If robotics takes my job as a diesel mechanic, my bills won't get paid any easier. So unless I'm a specialized guest speaker, work on robotics, or make burgers at McDonalds I suppose I may be screwed. Thoughts on that?

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    1. I think that it speaks volumes about continuous learning. If you stop learning it will be very hard to keep up with the tech. This is where we are now, it can only get better/worse, depending on your view.

      To follow the path to dystopia is usually cynical. If you look at the past, those that were cynics and visionaries were both wrong and we typically follow the middle course...with corrections. Are current times the course, or merely the correction?

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  2. Interesting...I just dont see the "bottom of the pyramid" benefitting by a technology grow of up to 16X what we have now in the next 5-6 years. In some ways yes, as a whole the growth of technology that has no limit or end will destroy economy. Guess we all better start learning to build robots since they can service themselves anyway.... scary.

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    1. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/10/16/sympathy-for-the-plutocrat-2/

      Bottom of the pyramid? Benefit? Ha!

      I think you keep yourself current, work hard to keep yourself that way and carry on (keep calm too...). Do not get to invested in maturing technologies, keep you eye on emerging technologies, watch the bleeding edge and maybe dabble in it a bit, then wait and watch. I like to watch what Honda does. They seldom lead, but often clean up (in profits).

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  3. I think this was a very interesting video and the guy did have some valid information. However to me I think he is not seeing the world as is currently. I know that technology is going to keep advancing, but is it really improving your quality of life. Yes, it did improve life for the people of that fishing village in India , but they had nothing. The united states and most other countries are so much advanced then that already, and look what technology has done for our economy and "people at the bottom of the pyramid".

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    1. “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” ― Anaïs Nin

      That is a point to ponder Gary. Just how does this guy see the world. How askew is he? What if he is at least (or JUST) 50% right. What then?

      One thing I believe we have to understand is there always has been, and always will be a "pyramid". And that means there will be a bottom. Luckily, for us, we have some upward or downward mobility within that pyramid.

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