Category Archives: Wisdom from Jim

Robots Part 1

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What’s in your future? Is it sunshine, lollipops, unicorns, and rainbows? I hope it is, but beyond wars, and rumors of wars, and a human-created virus, there is a certain reality that awaits all of us.

Question: Is your job secure? Do you even have a job? If Covid-19 Madness has come to your community, you might not be working now. If you are one of the lucky ones with a job, but you should consider that you might not have the job security that your parents or grandparents enjoyed. Times have changed, and there is no gold watch in your future.

Those of you who do not understand what a gold watch has to do with working are probably on the near side of 50, and if you are in your 20s or 30s, it is unlikely that you even have a clue as to what the gold watch has to do with working, but I digress.

Why are jobs and the future of human labor in jeopardy? I can tell you in one word–ROBOTS. The rate at which robots powered by artificial intelligence are advancing is mind-boggling. I am interested in both Robots and Artificial Intelligence so I constantly seek the latest information on the development of both, but I can scarcely keep up with the rapid advancements in either field. I also understand that real cutting-edge technology in Artificial Intelligence and Robots is classified and not available to the public. It takes time for cutting-edge advancements to emerge and appear on YouTube, but enough is already published or “leaked out.”

Big companies like Amazon already utilize robots to a great extent. Even smaller companies now employ robots and that will expand as time goes by. One of my favorite examples of robots in the workplace is the robot duo that serves coffee in Korea. CLICK HERE to see the Coffee Robots

NOTE: To preserve the continuity of reading the text each of the video links is also presented in a single list at the end of this text.

Robots come in many shapes and sizes. Only a few of them look like Robbie the Robot from the 50s and 60s television and movies. However, now some look incredibly like humans. Of course, many robots have no human form at all. Most do not walk or talk, but it is the human-like robots that will define our future.

One robot has gained quite a bit of fame. Her name, or should I say its name is Sophia. She is a robot that appears to be artificially intelligent, but she might not really be as intelligent as she appears. Some even say that she is a hoax. Nevertheless, she was given full citizenship in Saudi Arabia making her the first robot in modern history to achieve that status. However, if nothing else, she is giving us a look at what a truly artificially intelligent autonomous robot of the future might be. I am not sure about the ultimate consequence of that situation. CLICK HERE to see the Human-like Robot “Sophia”

There is no question that a robotic device is coming for your job. That’s a given, and it includes those of you in the medical and legal professions. With the possible exception of the world’s oldest profession, no job is robot-proof, but should we worry?

There might be cause for alarm, but it is never over until the fat lady or the fat robot sings. Some governments are already looking at how a guaranteed income for everyone might work. In the USA and other countries such as Germany, we have already seen people receiving money for not working. These payments are designed to help people during the Covid-19 “pandemic.” The checks are called Stimulus Payments, but it is unlikely that they stimulate anyone to work. They are doing just the opposite. The unemployed stay unemployed as long as they are receiving the free money, but how long will this continue, and will the concept carry over to people whose job was given to a robot? That’s a very important question.

Once a robot displaces a person from his or her job, how will that person live? Under the current system, one must work to get money to eat, pay bills and pay for the other things that constitute living in our modern world. Once there is no work and no pay, what happens then?

Some people understand that sooner or later, robots will replace them. That is probably still several years off, but when that happens, will the displaced worker still be compensated? Does this scenario sound like a fairy tale? Maybe, but not so fast. In some circles, this type of guaranteed income is being considered.

Have the Covid stimulus payments already provided us proof of concept? The virus lock-downs forced millions of people to suddenly be without a job. That includes small business owners as well. The government shelled out Billions of dollars to millions of people. What was the source of that money? This article is about robots, not economics, but the short answer is the folks in charge simply cranked up the printing presses and printed the money they needed to pay the masses. Yes, Virginia, they can do that!

Understand that sooner or later, robots will replace some humans. When that happens, will the displaced worker still be compensated? Does that sound like a fairy tale? Maybe, but not so fast. In some circles, this type of guaranteed income has been considered. Once a robot displaces a person from his or her job, how will that person live? Under the current system, one must work to earn money to eat, pay bills and buy the things that constitute living in our modern world. If there is no work and no pay, what happens then?

Have you given any thought to what you would do if you did not have an income? Without money, an individual or a family faces a dicey future that might even end in premature death. That is a harsh reality, but some influential people believe the planet is exceedingly overpopulated. Consequently, they feel the need to reduce the number of people drawing on the planet’s finite resources. Can that be true? Some say that it is, and that’s scary, but the process of thinning the herd might already be underway. CLICK HERE.

To truly understand what is afoot, we must now enter what some would call Conspiracy Land to examine what’s lurking there. There are many theories, but I want to focus on what I believe is the number one hard-to-believe scenario.

Once robots become perfected, especially the android human-looking artificially intelligent versions, the need for a carbon-based life that consumes food, water, air, and other resources is no longer high on the priority list. That is not a pleasant thought. We are constantly hearing that food and water are getting more scarce now than at any other time in history. Climate change combined with a burgeoning population will eventually reach a tipping point. That is when there will not be enough precious commodities for everyone. At that point who decides how things are to be shared? To view my post on the vanishing Lake Oroville CLICK HERE.

Some people take comfort in the fact that the powers that be, the wealthy self-serving elites that run things, are also human, and they too would suffer from a calamity. Really? Not so fast Red Ryder. Remember the artificially intelligent human-like robots I told you about? Once they achieve a certain level of development, it is, point, set, and match in favor of the robots. The air-breathing resource-consuming human population will become expendable. Well, what about the elites? They are people too, I believe, and they will need the aforementioned, food, air, and water as well. True but they have an insurance policy.

Years ago, the wealthy elite bought their insurance policies. They built luxury underground facilities. New Zealand seems to be the location of choice. Other wealthy elites are making plans to live on privately owned islands. The USA has reportedly built several Deep Underground Military Bases or D.U.M.B.sThe United States government built underground facilities for the survival of the President and the congress in case of a nuclear war or another catastrophe. Some of these are literally small cities. Russia has a giant facility under Moscow, and recently they held a drill to see how fast people could get into it. To see some underground installations CLICK HERE.

There is evidence that a human-caused virus or some natural calamity is coming to wipe out the billions of “useless eaters.” When that event arrives, the elite and other selected people will retreat into their prefabricated survival bunkers. The rest of the population will be left to survive, or not survive by their own devices. Young, healthy people or anyone prepared for the coming calamity have a better chance to survive.

Now it is time to connect the dots. Some public pronouncements along with published or leaked documents prove that the elite wants the planet for themselves. They seem unconcerned about the survival of the “unwashed masses.” A harsh reality for sure.

Technology has already advanced to the point where people can live underground and live well. They can have all the necessary comforts without having things like hurricanes, tornadoes, civil unrest, and those annoying civil liberty laws that keep getting in the way of those who wish to rule. They won’t need human servants because they will have their Artificially Intelligence personal robots to attend to their every need. Is that a real possibility, or is it just a fairy-tale? Time will tell, but at this point, it seems there will come a day when it is possible.

Now it is time to connect the dots. Some public pronouncements along with published or leaked documents prove that a group wants the planet for themselves. They seem unconcerned about the survival of the “unwashed masses.” A harsh reality for sure.

If somewhere along the way I lost you, don’t worry. The videos that are part of this document will provide a complete picture. I will present a Part-2 with more information, so for now, believe it or not, like it or not, artificially intelligent robots are coming. That is no longer in doubt. The point of debate is on the timing of the transformation. The year 2050 is often the prime candidate for that, but now some in the industry are saying it might be as soon as 2030. That is only eight and a half years away! It is doubtful that I will be alive in 2050, but I could be living in 2030. That makes the possibility of a robotic world for me more interesting to contemplate.

Watching the incredibly rapid development of robots is like a spectator sport. Unfortunately, when it comes to Robots not many people are unaware of what is happening. They cannot connect the dots to see the future. Maybe I have helped you shine a light on the emerging technology and helped you to understand that someday robots will play a significant role in our society.

–Jim

Video List:

Hundreds of videos about robots and Artificial Intelligence are available on the Internet. You could literally spend all day watching them and never see them all. I will let you do a web search for the ones that interest you, but I will start you off with a few to give a peek at what is out there.


CLICK HERE to see the Coffee Robots
CLICK HERE to see the Human-like Robot “Sophia”
CLICK HERE to see more Sophia
CLICK HERE to see even more Sophia
HAGA CLIC AQUÍ Robot humano “Sophia” (español) Spanish Language
CLICK HERE to see the murky future of Robots
CLICK HERE to view my post on the dried-up Lake Oroville, California

Obviously, there is not much publicly available information concerning the Deep Underground military bases (D.U.M.B.s) or the elite shelters. Unfortunately due to the recent policy changes of YouTube, the links that I had bookmarked in the past no longer work. They have been expunged. However, I did find one source that has some information and photos. CLICK HERE to see some underground installations.

If you seek more information then do a web search for Deep Underground Military Bases.

Welcome to Tomorrow

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A look at the changing landscape of our world – PART 1

One of the hardest things to do correctly is to predict the future. It is an interesting exercise but the nature of life on earth is fraught with un-imagined twists and turns. I don’t have a crystal ball but I do pay attention to the ongoing developments in science and technology so I can offer an educated guess. Time will tell if my vision of the future was accurate or not.

AUTOMOBILES:

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan during the Golden Age of the automobile. I feel blessed to have been there to experience the automobile before it morphed into what it is today. it was a real treat for a young boy. Automotive technology has steadily advanced, but the romance of the Golden Age is long gone. Thankfully museums and private collectors like Jay Leno have kept the romance alive.

AUTO REPAIR SHOPS:

As electric vehicles become more and more popular there will be less need for traditional auto repair shops. They will eventually disappear but it will take some time. Even if there is a rapid transition to electric cars, it will likely take about 10 years, maybe more for most of them to go out of business for lack of business. We may not see it happening now but it has already begun, In a couple of years, we will see a rapid departure from what exists now. However, don’t sell your stock in the local mechanic just yet. In 2021 there are not enough alternatives to the current crop of gasoline and diesel-powered cars so this may be one area that has more time on the clock.

Typical gasoline or diesel engines need hundreds of individual parts to function. An electrical motor needs about 20. Some electric cars are already being sold with lifetime guarantees and are currently only repaired by dealers. I am told that an electric motor can be replaced in as little as 10 minutes. That is a big departure from replacing an internal combustion engine which can take a couple of days to a week if it needs a complete rebuild. The electric motor will be a game-changer for the auto industry. There will come a time when faulty electric motors will not even be repaired in the dealership but instead will be sent to a regional repair shop that uses ROBOTS to repair them. Robots and robotic processes are already here and will continue to expand to the point of almost eliminating the need for much human intervention. The combination of robots and AI (Artificial Intelligence) could even become the dominant form of life on the planet. It is anticipated that this scenario could happen as soon as 2050. Some say even sooner, but no matter the date, it will happen. This also raises the question about job opportunities and job security. I delve deeper into that situation in Part 2

If you have a malfunctioning electric motor in your car then time and the ease of repair are on your side. You drive into what looks like a car wash and your car slowly moves through while you have a cup of coffee. In that short time, your car comes out on the other side with a new electric motor or replacement component. This is a great visual, but it will be a few years before this will likely be a daily experience. I imagine that some people might be wondering if such a process will also be available in the future for changing one’s spouse. (Just kidding)

GAS STATIONS

Will a reduced need for combustible fuel stations make them disappear? Yes, but the date for this is very difficult to predict. Nevertheless, at some point gas stations as we know them will go the way of the buggy whip.

The advent of the electric car demands plentiful electric charging stations. Governments and private companies will install electrical recharging stations. This has already started in many developed countries. No doubt you have already seen some of these locations. The 500-pound gorilla in the room on this one is the electricity has to come from someplace. The debate rages on as to how that will be handled.

Tesla is just the tip of the spear. The move to electric cars is well underway. Major auto manufacturers have already invested in new plants that will ONLY build electric cars. Additional information can be found here: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6464/422

A baby born today will likely only see “personal cars” in museums. I have not owned a car for over 30 years now. I was able to transition away from owning a car because of where I live. As a person that at one time had a love affair with cars, I found the transition a bit difficult. However, my main motivation was to force myself to walk a lot to mitigate the effects of my type II diabetes. It worked. My lifestyle proves that for some people a car is an option, but for others, probably most people, having a car is an absolute must. I use Uber taxis, and a few times a year I rent a car. My yearly transportation costs are a fraction of what most people with a car are paying. Consider the following:

The cost of the Car…
Insurance…
Licensing…
Tires…
Parking fees…
Gasoline… (unless it is electric)
Oil Changes… (unless it is electric)

The Utopian plan is telling us that The big difference between 2021 and 2025 is that by 2025 there might not be a need for human drivers. I don’t necessarily believe that (yet,) but I do believe that in 2025 the trend will be toward autonomous cars. I would bet cold hard cash on that coming to pass. Pride of ownership aside, the reality is that self-driving cars and taxis will alter the age of the personally-owned automobile.

AUTONOMOUS CARS:

In a few years, the entire auto industry will be disrupted. 2018 brought forth the first self-driving cars. 2021 promises sufficient advancements to start making the technology mainstream, but some folks disagree. Nevertheless, once reliable self-driving becomes a proven technology you might not want to own a car anymore. You will do what I do now. You will call for a car with your phone and it will show up at your location and drive you to your destination. You will pay only for the distance driven. No need to pay to park it. Right now my taxis do have a human driver, but likely, children born in 2021 and beyond will never get a driver’s license and never even own a car. This will change the landscape of our cities because the reduced need for private cars will also reduce the need for parking spaces. Some people are already suggesting those unneeded parking lots will be turned back into green areas. That sounds great, but I am wondering about the psychological effect of not owning a car. For some, it could be like trying to break an addiction.

AUTO INSURANCE

Worldwide about 1.2 million people die each year in car accidents. That includes a high percentage of drunk drivers. Currently, there is one accident per every 60,000 miles driven. However, it is anticipated that with autonomous driving that will drop to one accident in about 6 million miles. That alone will save million-plus lives each year and it will have a clear effect on Insurance companies as well. Without accidents, the cost of insurance will become cheaper. The current automobile insurance business model will eventually disappear. Some auto insurance companies will likely cease to exist once the transition to autonomous driving is well underway.

THE ELECTRIC CAR IS HERE NOW

Volvo is now producing hybrid cars and in the not-too-distant future, they intend to phase out the hybrid models and go completely electric. https://www.volvocars.com/en-th/news-and-event/volvo-presents-my-2021-line Volkswagen and Audi also are well aware of Tesla’s success and what it is doing to the auto market. All the major US. companies are now offering electric vehicles as well. Ford, GM, and Chrysler are well into the transition to electric cars. Once Tesla showed there was a market everyone else followed.

Say goodbye to OPEC

The Middle East is in trouble! The middle east is ALWAYS in trouble. Oil is king right now but it is becoming an endangered species. The question is how long will it take to be phased out completely. The current occupant of the White House in the USA has been tasked to try to save the worldwide oil industry, but nobody can hold back the tide. However, if we are going to transition to electric cars then the electricity needed to support that Utopian Dream must be generated from some source. Maybe it is not time to sell your oil, gas, or coal stocks just yet, but that day is eventually coming.

SOLAR

With solar power, homes can produce and store more electrical energy during the day than they use. The excess production can be sold back to the grid which can then dispense it to industries that are high electricity users. I have not seen the statistics on this but I imagine that worldwide thousands of houses are already doing just that. Fossil energy companies have at times tried to limit that access to the grid to prevent competition from home solar installations, but that simply cannot continue, and it should not. Technology will dictate a new paradigm in the not-too-distant future.

Solar energy conversion has been happening for years. Every passing year brings significant improvements. Elon Musk came out with something called “The Tesla roof?” A good concept but the original did not go as planned. Nonetheless, the combined initiatives of the industry are rapidly gaining traction. https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/26/22404639/elon-musk-tesla-solar-roof-mistakes-cost-price-increase

In general, the concept of a one hundred percent solar-powered world is possible. Technically that situation would produce the electrical output that the dreamers envision, but the cost and the other realities of getting there will place this well into a future that might never materialize. Many people reading this will probably be dead or very old before it becomes a reality. Will solar work? Yes, but only if a significant number of private homes and businesses use it.

The FUTURE is approaching faster than most of us can handle. If you have a differing view of the future then I presented here then please share it with me.

— END PART 1—

Life Matters

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As I grow older, I am more conscious of my health. I am keenly aware that people in my age group are dying at a rate faster than other age groups. Maybe that is normal, but it seems important to be aware of the things that one can do to have a healthier life. However, I suspect that playing with a crocodile is not considered a life-extending activity.

I am not a doctor, nor an alternative medicine health guru, but I know that some of you reading this might fit into one or more of those categories. Consequently, I invite you to share health care tips or testimonials about products that have had a beneficial effect on people’s health. I am looking for testimonials, not commercials, but if a product is commercially available I will consider sharing it here. Your experience with a product, or treatment, is what we need to know.

This was published before the Coronavirus, so it must be read with that in mind.

Drought

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According to the Kardashev Scale of civilization, there are three types of planets. Type one, type two, and type three respectively. On  this scale, our earth is a type zero.

CLICK HERE To read about the Kardashev Scale.

Unfortunately, our current technology cannot control the weather. After a moderate amount of rain this past winter, California is already back into a heavy summer drought complete with the traditional forest and grass fires. As you can see in my video, Lake Mead is at it’s lowest level since it was created. This has got to have a negative effect on Las Vegas, and the other communities down stream of Lake Mead—including portions of Mexico, if you can believe that.  CLICK HERE to read about the dispute.

On the other side of the coin, Memphis Tennessee, has an abundance of water, as does Costa Rica, where I live. Too bad we can’t control the weather, or can we? Some say that we can, and that we are, but not for the benefit of everyone.  in fact, maybe the reverse is true, but I don’t know. However, it would be great to have a way of providing sufficient rain to the areas that need it.

Just thinking out loud again.

—Jim