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the half-life of knowledge colin klein
edc mooc december, 2014
2034santa clarita, california
So how can I become a Master Plumber?
Job growth is projected at 21% over the next ten years. I want that
security.
Used to be that you had to pass California’s Master
Plumbers Certification. And before that, you were
required to either have an associates degree or to have completed a plumbers' union
apprenticeship program.
That’s awesome. Less schooling, less debt
for me. High-demand job, guaranteed
paydays, sign me up man!
But now, you just need to complete a basic plumbing
training program. They want to make sure that you
understand how to use tools and your common sense. You
don’t even need to know basic physics and chemistry
anymore.
Why is that? Can’t you keep track of what is
happening in the field and stay up-to-date and
relevant? You are a Master Plumber man.
You are certified, untouchable.
I make 2/3 of what I made 20 years ago. Does that trend
concern you?
You don’t need to? What, you are willing
to become a dinosaur?
I cannot keep up with the ever-changing
developments, but happily, I no longer need to. I have no need to learn anything new. The pressure to keep up is
long gone.
It knows building codes, does blueprint reading, identifies
tools and materials, installation, maintenance,
servicing components, safety and even physics.
What is there to remember? All facts and procedures are
accessible from the NovitOmnia and displayed in the
Holotek in front of me.
But what about your certification?
Certifications are meaningless. Look, over the last 20 years, technology has reorganized our lives. How
we communicate and especially how and what we need to learn have changed.
But…that’s not…that’s not…not
even human bro.
Look, it’s really this simple. I just show up to where I am
supposed to go and do what the Novit Omnia tells me to
do. I use my hands and make sure that no one gets hurt,
including myself. And then I get paid.
What about being a creative problem solver? Come on
man, to be human is to think, feel, create.
Kid, my pay is the same. If a mistake is made, the NovitOmnia is blamed and not
me. I’m just a pair of hands doing what I’m told.
If you’re just a pair of hands, then you will be
replaced by the WorkDroids. Why am I
even bothering with this false dream? There is no
security here.
The WorkDroids’ AI is fully integrated into the Novit
Omnia so they have nothing to learn. But until their
corporate masters get the battery issues worked out, I
have job security.
But where is the sense of wonder?
My life is predictable and with that there is a certain comfort. I have a roof over my head and put meat on
the table for my family. Look at our culture and social
environment and ask yourself, how is this any
different?