What is wrong with the world?

Question

The average house has a TV, a phone, and soon a computer. The average person has no idea how these things work. What is happening? Shouldn't people who are so depandent on cars be able to know at least a little bit how they work? Or how a TV works? What happens if POOF! All the smart people are gone, and no one knows how to make these things anymore. What would we do? This computer I'm on right now, typing this question; I'll bet only about 10% know how to make one, or how it works. Does anyone know how to make a lightbulb? (Not how they work, because they are just a vacuum of glass with a filiment in it which lights up when a current is run through it; but how to make one? With glass and equipment and stuff). I don't know how my iPod works, or how my computer works, or how my car works, or how a rocket ship works. Shouldn't we at least know how our every-day items are doing what they do? Studies show that 86% of all houses have a refridgerator, and that only 14% know how they work.

Answer 1

Einstein once said, (loosely quoted) "why should I fill my head with useless facts when I can use my efforts to locate those facts when necessary"

It's far more important to be able to use a tool than to be able to produce one.

Answer 2

*waves hand* I know how a fridge works!

More seriously, I don't think this is really a problem. Well, okay, if I could suddenly teach everyone on Earth how computers work, yes, I'd do it. And I fully support people learning new things when possible. But the fact is, there is so much to know and so much of what we use is so complicated by now that it's very difficult (if not impossible) for any one person to know all of it. Don't worry, though, it won't last TOO long; within another century or so we'll all have cybernetic attachments that will allow us to know much more and think much faster than we do now, and maybe then we'll be able to know everything everyone else knows.

Answer 3

I commend your wanting to increase your knowledge in regards to how things operate. You should get busy if you want to learn all that stuff. Especially the car. computers are pretty easy. I don't own an IPOD and probably never will, Rockets ships have a pretty basic design, and I don't feel I need to know any more than I do in that regard. I would focus on the car though.

Answer 4

Easy, it is ok. life goes on without technologies for thousands of years.

As the world goes more advances, there is no one person who knows everything going on. Even engineers who work daily in the high tech fields, they don't know every gadgets and devices there are selling.

Let's face it, people in general are very naive about what is going on around in the society. It is not necessary about high tech. It can be our government, where the food supply chain or even how our clothes are made.

I will say it is sad that most people don't know what's behind what they are using. But some one is more curious and some don't. So, it is ok.

Answer 5

I read the book "3001 The final Odyssey" from Arthur C. Clarke. It's sci-fi. There were so many systems and machines in the year 3001, so people just knew what did they do and not how.
I think it would be good to know a little about what we're using.

Answer 6

kinda scary huh we will be stuck with all theese idiots whining because the cant play thier stupid video games. well i guess it would be pretty ugly and eventually the only thing that will matter is food ,fresh water,shelter,and protection of theese items and yourself and loved ones, Fortunatly i have 5 guns 2 shot guns 2 rifles and 1 pistol lots of ammunition and the ability to hunt fish and survive away from all the idiots and chaos ever seen road warrior ?

Answer 7

I guess we would have to go back to the old ways. Is that such a bad thing? Difficult to adjust to, but we lasted centuries like that, we should be able to do it again considering we've had these modern technologies for a century and a half.

Answer 8

well if i knew how all these things worked, id hope id be getting paid because not everyone needs to, our lives are too short and busy to be cramming all the information of all these incriments in our head. if i want to be a doctor i should know the bones not how my tv works..

Answer 9

Its simply not always relevant to know how something works when you have repair people and self correcting technology. This is not entirely my view put it the logic and perception of most.

Answer 10

its all this technology.......... if for some reason there was a worldwide balckout, homo sapiens would immediately drop to the bottom of the food chain because 99.99% of us have lost the skill to survive without electricity for more than a few days