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Human computers were automated by computers and created the programming jobs. But we have many more of those than ever and it seems to increase even more. Ther
by dgb23 5y ago
Human computers were automated by computers and created the programming jobs. But we have many more of those than ever and it seems to increase even more.
There are types of jobs that don’t necessarily get reduced even though productivity is increased.
For example the number of military soldiers is mostly a political decision. Managers, lawyers and other bureaucrats are increasing in numbers and power despite having better educated workers and more sophisticated tools.
The economic and political games we play are not aligning with reducing work time to pre industrial levels. Technological progress cannot be thought of as independent of societal factors.
- ethbr0 5y agoAgree with your broad point, but minor nitpick about soldiers: we've substantially cut armed forces personnel, because they're hellaciously expensive with benefits. https://historyinpieces.com/research/us-military-personnel-1954-2014 https://historyinpieces.com/research/us-military-personnel-1...
- nine_k 5y agoWhile there are no human computers who actually add and multiply, there is a lot of programmers. But this is not because they replaced human computers 1:1, it's because electronic computers have replaced huge swaths of everything around us. I go to my kitchen, of all places, and I see my microwave oven, my coffee machine, my bread-making machine, even likely my gas stove all run by small embedded computers. To say nothing of the advanced computer attached to a bunch of radio interfaces most everyone carries around these days. I'd say this has more to do with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox