Age and knowing certain things...

In the early 90's I went to the first couple lollapalooza's....at the time, it was forward, different, and alternative....

Now, as I'm listening to Jane's Addiction in my basement, it's old, vintage, classic, and irrelevant.

*sidenote, No cell phones ruining the ambiance of the Show.
 
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I studied with and was best friends with the “Babe Ruth” of my field. Students only a generation younger haven’t heard of him and don’t know his work—no wonder they can’t compare. (Imagine being in physics and never heard of Einstein.) The field has gotten so dumbed down that absolute crap is okay. Mediocre is fantastic.
 
annr said:
I studied with and was best friends with the “Babe Ruth” of my field. Students only a generation younger haven’t heard of him and don’t know his work—no wonder they can’t compare. (Imagine being in physics and never heard of Einstein.) The field has gotten so dumbed down that absolute crap is okay. Mediocre is fantastic.
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I had a friend, a PhD chemist, who worked for a company which makes automated chemical analysis equipment. He was old enough that, like me, his knowledge was based on performing the various analysis procedures manually. So he completely understood what each machine did. He told me that the first thing he would have to do with a new PhD chemist entering his department was explain exactly what manipulations their equipment performed and review the theory. The younger PhD's had never performed the processes manually, and as a result didn't have a full grasp of them.
 
knarfeng said:
I had a friend, a PhD chemist, who worked for a company which makes automated chemical analysis equipment. He was old enough that, like me, his knowledge was based on performing the various analysis procedures manually. So he completely understood what each machine did. He told me that the first thing he would have to do with a new PhD chemist entering his department was explain exactly what manipulations their equipment performed and review the theory. The younger PhD's had never performed the processes manually, and as a result didn't have a full grasp of them.
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I fully believe this. I don’t know what to do with information like this—it’s horrifying. An MD I know (ex-physics PhD) tells me stories like this about the robots in Medicine who don’t understand WHY and HOW things work. I remember when he was at Emory he was incredulous at lab results. He walked over to the lab to see what they were doing: they had switched the comparitor slides so all the results were reported backwards. He went out and bought his own microscope that day.

According to him, other docs don’t know WHY they can or can not co-prescribe drugs. Just do the robot thing clicking boxes on their computer.

Occasionally I get the slide rule (actual slide rule) people who in are in their 50’s and they can explain things from the ground up. Rare breed.

Scary stuff depending what’s riding on the knowledge and how it’s applied.

I
 
Things used to be made to last and then came along plastic. Culture too has become disposable and it’s happening at an alarming rate.

I’m still young at 33, my youngest sister is 18 and we’re worlds apart already.

When I was a teen social media didn’t exist and no one had a phone.
Kate looks at me like I’m a dinosaur when I tell her I’ve had to organise catchup with friends over the house phone and stick to the prearranged meeting place and time.

Growing up if I wanted to meet a girl I had to do so at school, sports, parties or bars.

To hear about a new band I had to go to random gigs at bars to keep listening to music I had to buy a cd.

Now all those things are done on a phone
 
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annr said:
I fully believe this. I don’t know what to do with information like this—it’s horrifying. An MD I know (ex-physics PhD) tells me stories like this about the robots in Medicine who don’t understand WHY and HOW things work. I remember when he was at Emory he was incredulous at lab results. He walked over to the lab to see what they were doing: they had switched the comparitor slides so all the results were reported backwards. He went out and bought his own microscope that day.

According to him, other docs don’t know WHY they can or can not co-prescribe drugs. Just do the robot thing clicking boxes on their computer.

Occasionally I get the slide rule (actual slide rule) people who in are in their 50’s and they can explain things from the ground up. Rare breed.

Scary stuff depending what’s riding on the knowledge and how it’s applied.

I
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I have many similar stories from my years as an engineer. Automating procedures is cheaper, so automation is pushed in technology companies.
The results are:
Higher short term profits.
A loss of staff who actually understand the reasons for performing required actions.
The search for additional savings then drives the ignorant staff to break the rules they no longer understand.
Product failure.
 
Ate breakfast at a local place this morning and was chit chatting with the manager. He commented he struggles to get the opening staff to show up on time to be able to actually open. I asked why he doesn't replace them. He said it's better than no one. As in that's the best they can get around here.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
Ate breakfast at a local place this morning and was chit chatting with the manager. He commented he struggles to get the opening staff to show up on time to be able to actually open. I asked why he doesn't replace them. He said it's better than no one. As in that's the best they can get around here.
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I personally feel that I'm late if I'm not 15 minutes early.
 
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