Robotic Nation Summary
Nowadays people can access their money through an ATM, pay for gas at the pump, and scan their own groceries. It is very convenient not only for the customer but for the business running these automated systems, since they cost less to run and they don’t have to hire someone to do the jobs the machines are now doing. Marshall Brain talks about how even though these automated systems are convenient, they are doing damage to the American economy and I agree but only to a certain extent.
Brain goes off on a prediction of the next 45 years which gets pretty radical, although it is practical when you really take a look at how far technology has come in the past 45 years or so. He states that by 2025, robots will be able to hear, see, move, and manipulate objects just as human being would, although it would not have the creative thinking capabilities of a human. They would at least be intelligent enough to work in the market place, so it wouldn’t be ridiculous to think that robots will be scanning your groceries and taking your order at McDonalds.
These humanoid robots essentially have the same anatomy as a human being; two arms, two legs, and sensors that can detect vision, sound, and touch. With this anatomy they’d have the same physical capabilities as a human such as riding the escalator, climbing stairs, and driving a car with no trouble. By 2030 they would start replacing housekeeping and janitor jobs at hotels, malls, parks, etc.
By the same year these robots would cost less than the average car, and having the same capabilities as humans would be cheaper than three standard employees. Corporations would start buying robots in bulk to replace human employees and by the year 2055 half the American workforce would be unemployed, and there would be no changing of that.
While not impossible, I don’t see this happening in the way he describes. I wouldn’t want to think that the American government would be stupid enough to let something like this happen because if people aren’t working anymore, then they aren’t making money. If they aren’t making money, they have no money to spend. If they have no money to spend, then there is no money filtering back into the economy and corporations would fall because they would not be pulling in any revenue. And if the government is that stupid, then I am buying a one way ticket out of hear. Hello, Canada.
Brain also talks about how computers are going to eventually have the same processing power as a human brain, probably even more, and I agree that is possible. However, in my opinion nothing artificial ever beats its natural counterpart. Sure they will have the logical side down, but I believe they will never be able to create the creative side of the human brain.
One thing I agree with Brain on is that we need to start creating jobs now that will be irreplaceable by robots so if indeed this robotic revolution hits, the economy will stay strong. If the human race can stay just that one step ahead, I don’t see any problem with this revolution. Since we are creating these beings, I can’t see why we would stay that one step ahead of them.
There was not a giant, fancy tour bus parked outside. There wasn’t a line of fans that extended the length of a football field down the street. There wasn’t a security team that outnumbered the entire police force. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t a police officer in sight. It was just one guy and his acoustic guitar.
Recently I saw Joe Touchette, an acoustic performer out of Taunton, Massachusetts. He was playing at Hell, a club in Providence, Rhode Island whose name most definitely fits the look. It was as dark as night inside, almost as if there was a power outage and only the emergency lamps were on. Graffiti lined the walls, the doors, and even the ceiling. The whole place reeked of lovely mix of beer, bodily fluids, and bleach. The only thing that was missing was the fire and Satan. He must have had prior obligations that night.
After sound checking, there were a couple hours to spare before the show started so we decided to walk around Providence and grab a bite to eat. As we came up to the Providence Performing Arts Center, we saw a tour bus, and a few tractor-trailers parked in the rear loading dock. Once we got to the front we saw the flashy billboard which read “Ben Folds, October 10, 2009 7 P.M.”
“Hey that’s tonight!” I said. “And it starts at the same time. I think he may be stealing your crowd.” Joe quickly responded back.
“All the people I really want to be there are going to be there. I’m not in this for the money, fame or fancy tour bus, even though I couldn’t complain if it came my way”
We stopped by the Pizza Queen, a small pizza and sub shop that also had a mini convenience store behind the counter with cigarettes, candy and scratch tickets up for sale. He told me about what he wants to do with his musical career, which all came down to making a solid local music scene back in Taunton. I can attest to the fact that Taunton lacks this. He tries to hit every open microphone night that goes on in Taunton and the surrounding towns and even hosts his own open microphone night at Rune’s Café, a small bar and coffee shop with a bistro-like setup in the center of Taunton, every other Thursday night. On occasion, he invites everyone to his house where he will put on a private show in his basement with some other acts of his choice. Most of the acts he met through playing at the open microphone nights and you can see the network of performers in the surrounding Taunton areas he’s trying to build.
We finished our pizza and headed back to the Satin’s playhouse. There a line of maybe four or five people making they’re way into the club. He said hello and thank them and we stepped inside through the same door as everyone else used. Inside there was a few more people, all whom which Joe appeared to know very well. Besides the massive size difference, the crowd differed greatly from most concerts you’d see like the Ben Folds concert down the street. Everyone seemed to know each other. It felt more like a friendly gathering than a show. About an hour had passed and the club was holding roughly thirty people or so. It was show time.
Joe captivated the crowd better than most full bands that I have seen. Everyone was huddling with each other, singing along to every word of every song. It was unlike most acoustic acts. He wasn’t sitting in a stool playing quietly for a few people sitting down at tables sipping on coffee. He stood tall playing loud and crisp, singing in the faces of his friends. He ended his set and everyone was begging for more. I’m almost positive he played every song in his repertoire because he said he had nothing else he could play. That never happens!
