Real concerns?

[Zumba]

Global warming may be a big issue to people who love polar bears and whatnot, but I think mankind has much bigger problems ahead.

What's going to happen in a few hundred years when automation costs less than slave labor? 90% of jobs automated = 90% unemployment? That'll create an enormous welfare state. The only people left that can't be replaced will be researchers, engineers, politicians, lawyers, police, military officers, and artists.

I guess by developing CNC technology, I'm contributing to the problem the way Exxon contributes to the global warming problem. Sweet.

[dfurlano]

The PC was going to do way with ever having to print a book or newspaper. And yet we print more things today then ever.

If everything becomes automated what are the benefits? They may in fact out way the negatives.

[nine 16]

Each keystroke a microscopic field generating event. The world-wide cummulative effect destabalizing mind and matter; the earth's magnetic axis repositioning, climatic irregularities, bees disoriented, muddled thinking.

Our progeny will pine for the return of a more natural method of communicating, perhaps involving tree carcasses and licked stamps.

If you love mother earth, break the digital habit. And for goodness sake, stop enabling others by using the damnable Internet, the inventor of which should be, well, reprimanded.

I feel so guilty for having written this.

[fizzissist]

I don't feel guilty at all!

I paid my kid $3 to talk for a half-hour for me!! He will talk to someone, who will talk to someone else, ...etc, etc....it's like carbon credits, only better!

[DigiTall]

Don't forget about the 100 of thousands of people that will be employed maintaining and teaching, feeding, cleaning up after, selling the product of, designing the product for, needing the product of all those wounderous new machines. Seems to me technology just increases the demands on us slow through put carbon based machines.

How many people have been put out of work by cell phones, computers, iPods, and really bit flat screen TVs all made in highly automated plants.

Automation just increases complexity and the need for human involvement.

[ImanCarrot]

It don't really matter- since we're all living longer we'll all move into health care and nursing... it pays about the same as machining these days anyway lol

[nine 16]

Geriatric cnc.

Why is it that Ethel, who taught music 40 years ago, will get to play the piano at the 'home', but Burt, who taught machining for 40 years won't be allowed to set up his old bridgeport in the entertainment room? Guess it might interfere with tv reception...

Its not fair.

[ImanCarrot]

I know why! I know why! Cos after 40 years at machining, Burt will be rather good at it and start churning out Dime coins by the handful- him and his friends will raid the coke and snack machine therefore bankrupting the rest home!

[fizzissist]

Originally Posted by nine 16 Geriatric cnc. Why is it that Ethel, who taught music 40 years ago, will get to play the piano at the 'home', but Burt, who taught machining for 40 years won't be allowed to set up his old bridgeport in the entertainment room? Guess it might interfere with tv reception... Its not fair.

Absolutely.
I wanna set up my 400ton coining press and make quarters when I retire.

What's really funny though, is that my dad never liked or allowed music in the shop....he thought the sound of machines running was music to his ears!

Later on, after quoting...and getting..a screw machine job I used to think about that and laugh to myself when I'd find myself unconsciously thinking "12cents, 12cents, 12cents...." every time I heard a part hit the parts catcher!

[dynosor]

Originally Posted by Zumba What's going to happen in a few hundred years when automation costs less than slave labor? 90% of jobs automated = 90% unemployment?

Ever heard of soylent green? It takes "going green" to a whole new level.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green

[Mariss Freimanis]

Some thoughts as I crank them out:

1) Humans are every bit as "natural" as the cutest little fur seal or polar bear cub. There is nothing we do as humans that is not "natural" because we are a part of nature too.

2) The environment isn't "fragile". Anything that's lasted 4.6 billion years is pretty tough. Anything you hope to build or do will last even 100 years? The dinosaurs laugh at you. They had a 100-million year run.

3) What we have now must be preserved. What crock. The earth has been hotter, the earth has been cooler. The atmosphere had more oxygen than now, it had none. What ever makes you think what exists now is perfect?

4) Endangered Species deserve to die. Nature kills its failures and it has done so for billions of years. Anyone seen a live tribulite or a healthy velociraptor lately? I haven't. You love nature? Help her out. Don't protect her mistakes.

5) Be proud of who you are. If you are reading this, you are a human being. You are Homo Sapiens, the self aware one. You are the very apex of what nature has cranked out after 4.6 billion years of effort. You have no equal.

You rule the earth and you rule everything that creeps, crawls, walks and runs over the earth. The power of your mind separates you you from everything else. You think, everything else does not.

6) Nuclear, not solar. Not wind power, not geothermal, not tide energy. Not mud-huts either. Our ancient ancestors had 0.1kW available to them in the form of the power of their backs. Our more recent ancestors had 1kW available in the form of domesticated beasts of burden. More recently we had 10kW available as steam engines. Today we have 100kW available in our cars and 1MW to to 10MW available when we collectively choose to fly on a jet airline.

A happy and optimistic view of the future is our children will have 100MW at their disposal and our grandchildren will use 1GW everyday. That's 1 million Horsepower. That can't come from solar, geothermal, etc.

Our destiny is to generate and use power. Our destiny is to use a lot more of it that our minds decide to put to good use. The mud-hut people (environmentalists) are non-technical atavists that yearn for more pastoral times. They too are nature's failures. They see what nature has in store for them and their philosophy.

We must resist them and and the weapons they wield; fear and uncertainty. Global warming, global cooling, nuclear winter, global starvation, nuclear annihilation, the global overpopulation bomb, Silent Spring, DDT, mercury in the water, asbestos in the air, radon gas. I have lived long enough to have seen all these weapons used.

They live to cause fear and uncertainty because they are ill-equipped to deal with technology and they are pessimists at heart. They try to make their fear yours.

7) Be an optimist. This is the CNCzone after all which means you are technically inclined. Learn enough about science to know when a mud-hut person is trying to scare you using science lingo he doesn't have a leg to stand on. Laugh at them. Contest and confront them.

An optimist believes in the human race and knows what it is trying to do through learning will help everyone. Believe your children's and grand children's life will be better and richer than yours. Never look back; always look towards the future.

8) You are a human being. You have an obligation to the thousands of generations that preceded you. Your personal ancestor lived three hundred generations ago in a cave, slew mastodons so his children had food to eat and he endured hardships you have no measure of. He lead to you today. He believed in a future and with all his might fulfilled his part.

Keep a clear and optimistic eye on the future. It will hold you in good stead. One day you too will be a three hundred generation old ancestor. Pessimists of any ilk are nature's losers. They drop off with every generation. Nature is good that way because it prunes the family tree branches.

Mariss

Mariss

[dynosor]

Originally Posted by Mariss Freimanis Learn enough about science to know when a mud-hut person is trying to scare you using science lingo he doesn't have a leg to stand on. Laugh at them.

I laugh at the mud-hut people, but what are we supposed to do about the politicians that would see all of us living in mud-huts? There are very few that are not playing the game to get elected and stay in office.