4 ms·

This is such a good article. Its exactly the same in Germany. Boomers are running the business. Young pp are worthless garbage. I heard about some middle schoo

This is such a good article. Its exactly the same in Germany. Boomers are running the business. Young pp are worthless garbage. I heard about some middle school teachers saying "young germans should be expelled from all social security...". Like weow...wait until these pp are old. Then its time for retaliations on the great nazis-kid bastard generation.

tomp 11y ago
No need for retaliation. The "old" are digging their own graves (no pun intended), by not allowing the "young" to flourish - the younger generations either migrate to countries offering better oportunities, or not work at all because of excessive taxes. Eventually, who's going to take care of the old, of their property, and pay their pensions?
- venomsnake 11y ago
  > Eventually, who's going to take care of the old, of their property, and pay their pensions? Robots.
  - tomp 11y ago
    That's a bet I would be willing to take. I consider it very unlikely that it's going to happen in 30 years or less.
    - ccozan 11y ago
      Have you seen the latest robot from Boston Dynamics? Here is Atlas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVlhMGQgDkY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVlhMGQgDkY I don't think we need 30y for a real robot application for old people. This could be in less than 10 years.
      - tomp 11y ago
        It's amazing. However, I don't think the problem is Robotics, I think the problem is AI. Will robots be helping us in 20 years? Possibly. Will they still need people directing them, supervising them, and doing the more complicated tasks? I'm inclined to answer "definitely". But I'd love to be proven wrong! :)
        keenerd 11y ago
        Would you consider an exoskeleton suit to be a robot aid? It neatly circumvents the AI issues. And I imagine most people would prefer to have their youthful mobility instead of a robo-butler. (I am dodging the other half of the question regarding who pays for it.)
        tomp 11y ago
        That's an interesting idea, although I would still think it's quite far away (although would be much more viable if we invent better bateries/energy sources). However, this only solves part of the problem - the elderly won't need someone else to take care of them (because they'll be able to take care of themselves with their exosuits), but they still won't be able to retire (because they'll have to work - in their exosuits - to put food on the table).
        logfromblammo 11y ago
        Japan has a bit of a head start on this, recognizing early that it will soon have a lot of old people and not enough young people to both take care of them and keep the economy running. Honda's ASIMO is explicitly a mobility assistance robot. Osaka U. Actroids mimic human appearance. Mitsubishi's Wakamaru approaches the function of a receptionist. So far, no robot seems even close to taking on the everyday tasks performed by low-wage nursing home employees in the US. But take a look at "Babyloid" and "Pepper". They are robots designed to socially engage with people, so they don't get lonely and depressed. Japan's elderly may soon be conversing with chatbots more often than living people. Baby Boomers in the US had better take note.
        tomp 11y ago
  - tunichtgut 11y ago
    I dont think robots will kind of "save" the boomers. They have already secured their path to hell. Wait until they start "getting the savings out of the stock market" (eg to pay for robots or medicine). This wont be a "pleasent" day at all. Guess what, the stock market will collaps! There is no one buying all those stocks!(its the same with insurance. where is the insurance "invested"?)...their savings will evaporate, they dont have children or the children will be gone (to foreign nations). Its looking grim for those ruthless, egoistic baby boomers. They just dont understand this yet.

tomp 11y ago

No need for retaliation. The "old" are digging their own graves (no pun intended), by not allowing the "young" to flourish - the younger generations either migrate to countries offering better oportunities, or not work at all because of excessive taxes. Eventually, who's going to take care of the old, of their property, and pay their pensions?

venomsnake 11y ago
> Eventually, who's going to take care of the old, of their property, and pay their pensions? Robots.
- tomp 11y ago
  That's a bet I would be willing to take. I consider it very unlikely that it's going to happen in 30 years or less.
  - ccozan 11y ago
    Have you seen the latest robot from Boston Dynamics? Here is Atlas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVlhMGQgDkY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVlhMGQgDkY I don't think we need 30y for a real robot application for old people. This could be in less than 10 years.
    - tomp 11y ago
      It's amazing. However, I don't think the problem is Robotics, I think the problem is AI. Will robots be helping us in 20 years? Possibly. Will they still need people directing them, supervising them, and doing the more complicated tasks? I'm inclined to answer "definitely". But I'd love to be proven wrong! :)
      - keenerd 11y ago
        Would you consider an exoskeleton suit to be a robot aid? It neatly circumvents the AI issues. And I imagine most people would prefer to have their youthful mobility instead of a robo-butler. (I am dodging the other half of the question regarding who pays for it.)
        tomp 11y ago
        That's an interesting idea, although I would still think it's quite far away (although would be much more viable if we invent better bateries/energy sources). However, this only solves part of the problem - the elderly won't need someone else to take care of them (because they'll be able to take care of themselves with their exosuits), but they still won't be able to retire (because they'll have to work - in their exosuits - to put food on the table).
      - logfromblammo 11y ago
        Japan has a bit of a head start on this, recognizing early that it will soon have a lot of old people and not enough young people to both take care of them and keep the economy running. Honda's ASIMO is explicitly a mobility assistance robot. Osaka U. Actroids mimic human appearance. Mitsubishi's Wakamaru approaches the function of a receptionist. So far, no robot seems even close to taking on the everyday tasks performed by low-wage nursing home employees in the US. But take a look at "Babyloid" and "Pepper". They are robots designed to socially engage with people, so they don't get lonely and depressed. Japan's elderly may soon be conversing with chatbots more often than living people. Baby Boomers in the US had better take note.
        tomp 11y ago
- tunichtgut 11y ago
  I dont think robots will kind of "save" the boomers. They have already secured their path to hell. Wait until they start "getting the savings out of the stock market" (eg to pay for robots or medicine). This wont be a "pleasent" day at all. Guess what, the stock market will collaps! There is no one buying all those stocks!(its the same with insurance. where is the insurance "invested"?)...their savings will evaporate, they dont have children or the children will be gone (to foreign nations). Its looking grim for those ruthless, egoistic baby boomers. They just dont understand this yet.