That reminds me of back when 12,500 years ago I could really shape a flint into a spear head in no time. Took me seasons to learn that skill from the Masters. Then Sky Gods came and taught people metal-fire. Nobody knows how to really chip and carve a point any more. They just cast them in moulds. We are seeing a literal split of skills in front of our eyes. People who know how to shape rocks deeply. And people who just know how to buy a metal tool with berries. I like berries as much as the next person, but give it a couple of years, they will be begging for flint tips back. I guarantee it. Those metal users will have no idea how to survive without a collective industry.

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intended 4 days ago | parent [-]

Ah you are an old one. I was born later, and missed this phase of our history.

This reminds me of back 11,500 years ago, when people used to worship the sharper or bigger pieces of obsidian. They felt the biggest piece would win them the biggest hunt.

They forgot that the size of the tool mattered less than mastery of the hunt. Why the best hunter could take down a moving mattress with just the right words, string and a cliff.

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kamaal 4 days ago | parent [-]

On a more serious note, here in India most millennials/boomers remember taking a Engineering Drawing class in second semester Engineering courses. It would involve using a real drafter, real calculations and making real drawings. Isometric projects and all.

I remember it took me like 4 nights of standing to make Isometric projections of a landing gear strut. I wondered if pursuing an Engineering degree was even worth it. Some of my classmates did quit, as years went by.

These days they just let you use CAD software to make things work, and based on what I hear kids just Copy paste files and are done with the assignments.

I mean we all have these Kids these days talk, but somethings do matter. Making all these tasks easy has allowed lots of people who would have other wise failed in the previous generations pass.

There is now an unemployment and low pay crisis all over India due to so many Engineers passing. Sometimes when I hear the newer generations complain about how hard it is to buy a home, or get a good job. Im inclined to think, perhaps hard things should have been kept hard for a reason.

	▲	intended 4 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		CAD vs Hand drawing isometrics spotlights the labor and effort, but then ends up overshadowing the role of effort in developing mental models. The issue is that its a homework exercise. It's goal is to help you practice thinking about the problem. The Indian system is clear proof that passing an exam is easier, than actually mastering the subject being tested. However, this is not the cause of the jobs crisis. That is simply because there are not enough jobs which can provide income and social mobility. That is why we needed growth. Some of those ladders have been removed because automation has removed low-skill labor roles. Now we are going to remove entry level roles. To put it in a crude manner - humanity's "job" today, seems to be "growing" a generation of humans over a 20 year time span, to prepare them for the world that we face. This means building systems that deliver timely nutrition, education, stimulation, healthcare, and support. We could do this better.
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