Science/Environment The Great Automation of Things

[Play by Numbers]

When looking at transformative technologies for the 21st century a few come to mind. Wearables, 3d printing, regenerative medicine, non sentient AI, but most of all machine to machine communication.

It is the future of manufacturing, it will transform labor markets (for better or worse), dramatically decrease marginal costs, allow for the production of previously impossible technologies and see a shift in how we look at and access consumables.

It may also see a shift of a large portion of the industrial base back to developed economies, as costs for production decrease and the demands for sophisticated infrastructure increase.

On the one hand the idea meeting wants may become almost automated, predictive algorithms suggesting goods on demand, that you could cue to a wants playlist for a subscription service on your phone (like a smart spotify for clothing), that will be fully customizable to your presets, charged made and sent to you with minimal effort, seems completely fascinating to me, however the questions it raises are almost endless.

Will labor markets in advanced economies be able to adapt as low skills jobs like factory hands or retail staff, heck even skilled, like journalism, accounting, or industrial design slowly become more automated? Could it trigger a boom in the creative and IT fields?

Will there also be a further line of demarcation, between developed and now hyper developed economies, as many countries fail to adapt to shifts in global demand?

What does this mean for the future of warfare and security, as our entire lives become machine and network dependent?

It also makes me infuriated at how short sighted our current government is. No strategic science policy. The closing down of programs that bridge public and private cooperation, a real problem in Australia. Huge cuts to research, which mean Australian research may slide from being at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing and fabrication techniques, ending geneuine and desperately needed avenues for economic growth before they even take off. Crazy also that they have sabotaged the infrastructure build needed to one day compete in this industrial shift.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-26/australian-researchers-create-first-3d-jet-engine/6262462

3D printing: Australian researchers create jet engine, breakthrough captures attention of Airbus and Boeing

Australian researchers have created the world's first 3D-printed jet engine in a manufacturing breakthrough that engineers expect will lead to cheaper, lighter and more fuel-efficient jets.

The partnership between Monash University and spin-out company Amaero Engineering has captured the attention of Airbus, Boeing and defence contractor Raytheon.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-26/australian-researchers-create-first-3d-jet-engine/6262462

Anyway, an interesting if somewhat hammy article on what Germany is doing to plan for a 4th and automated industrial revolution.


http://motherboard.vice.com/read/life-after-the-fourth-industrial-revolution?utm_source=mbfb

Changing everything, again

The fourth industrial revolution, more commonly known as “Industry 4.0,” derives its name from a 2011 initiative spearheaded by businessmen, politicians, and academics, who defined it as a means of increasing the competitiveness of Germany’s manufacturing industries through the increasing integration of “cyber-physical systems,” or CPS, into factory processes.

CPS is basically a catch-all term for talking about the integration of smart, internet-connected machines and human labor. Factory managers are not simply reimagining the assembly line, but actively creating a network of machines that not only can produce more with fewer errors, but can autonomously alter their production patterns in accordance with external inputs while still retaining a high degree of efficiency.

In other words, Industry 4.0 is the production-side equivalent of the consumer-oriented Internet of Things, in which everyday objects from cars to thermostats to toasters will be connected to the internet.

This would be a “completely new approach to production,” according to a reportreleased in 2013 by the Industrie 4.0 Working Group, a conglomerate of major industrialists, artificial intelligence experts, economists and academics.

The German government readily endorsed the idea, announcing that it would be adopting a “High Tech Strategy” to prepare the nation.

The approach has not only found massive support in Germany, but is increasingly demanding attention elsewhere in the world as well. The United States, for instance, was quick to follow Germany’s lead and established a non-profit Industrial Internet consortium in 2014 which was led by industry giants such as General Electric, AT&T, IBM, and Intel.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/life-after-the-fourth-industrial-revolution?utm_source=mbfb

Definitely I don't have a utopian view on what such a change means, as it will no doubt be consumer driven and mundane, however there really needs to be a strong shift in political and strategic thinking in Australia, especially post resource wind down as we risk being made further redundant when it comes to the supply chain, raw material to delivery and service of goods.

 

[Fire]

If you skill yourself up then you can always leave. I'm planning on heading overseas to greener pastures myself later this year.

The government and general population has no idea what's coming; an economy based on mining and real estate has no future. But fortunately for us as individuals, Australia does have an excellent and accessible education system right now. So if you chose wisely and work hard then there's no reason why you have to get dragged down with the rest of them.

 

[Play by Numbers]

If you skill yourself up then you can always leave. I'm planning on heading overseas to greener pastures myself later this year.

The government and general population has no idea what's coming; an economy based on mining and real estate has no future. But fortunately for us as individuals, Australia does have an excellent and accessible education system right now. So if you chose wisely and work hard then there's no reason why you have to get dragged down with the rest of them.

Possibly. Though there have been repeat attempts at Abbott government sabotage.

I chose science over engineering when doing my double, however despite being uneasy over the futures of renewables in Australia (though there was a carbon tax at the time), maybe I should have done my work placement overseas in Germany and tried to get work there.

Oh well, the medical research thing for me is one of desire not just practicality.