In bowling, a pinsetter or pinspotter is an automated mechanical device that sets bowling pins back in their original positions, returns bowling balls to the front of the alley, and clears fallen pins on the pin deck. Prior to the machine's invention, pinsetters were boys or young men (pin boys) who manually reset pins and returned balls (see picture above) The first mechanical pinsetter … Continue reading Will Doctors Soon Go The Way of Pinboys?
A story in today's Wall Street Journal by Alastair Gale and Takashi Mochizuki tells of Japan’s Henn na, or “Strange,” Hotel, which opened to great fanfare in 2015, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s first robot hotel. A little over three years later, the hotel is "laying off" its lowest-performing droids. Here are some of the problems guests … Continue reading Robots Were So Much Better 50 Years Ago
This past week I read a couple of articles that talked about the potential impact of robotics and artificial intelligence on the future of work, and the articles noted that some jobs would likely be safe from being replaced by a robot. So I decided to look a bit more into it, and see if … Continue reading What Jobs Will Survive the Artificial Intelligence Revolution?
My wife, youngest son, and I spent a wonderful weekend in Amsterdam this past winter as part of our three-month stay in Europe. I wrote about the experience, which was one of the highlights of our time in Europe. One of the things I I liked about Amsterdam, and the Netherlands in general, was its … Continue reading The Dutch Seem to Do Things the Right Way
The Wall Street Journal had a fascinating story today about the potential impact of robots and automation on the workplace. Gartner, a technology research firm, has estimated that a third of all jobs will be lost to automation within a decade. Bill Gates has stated that automation threatens all manner of workers, from drivers to waiters … Continue reading Life, and Humans, Find a Way
Borden's Blather 