1. the half-life of knowledge
colin klein
edc mooc december, 2014

2. 2034
santa clarita, california

3. So how can I become
a Master Plumber?
Job growth is
projected at 21%
over the next ten
years. I want that
security.
Used to be that you had to
pass California’s Master
Plumbers Certification. And
before that, you were
required to either have an
associates degree or to have
completed a plumbers' union
apprenticeship program.

4. That’s awesome. Less
schooling, less debt
for me. High-demand
job, guaranteed
paydays, sign me up
man!
But now, you just need to
complete a basic plumbing
training program. They want
to make sure that you
understand how to use tools
and your common sense. You
don’t even need to know
basic physics and chemistry
anymore.

5. Why is that? Can’t you
keep track of what is
happening in the field
and stay up-to-date and
relevant? You are a
Master Plumber man.
You are certified,
untouchable.
I make 2/3 of what I made 20
years ago. Does that trend
concern you?

6. You don’t need to?
What, you are willing
to become a
dinosaur?
I cannot keep up with the
ever-changing
developments, but happily, I
no longer need to. I have no
need to learn anything new.
The pressure to keep up is
long gone.

7. It knows building codes, does
blueprint reading, identifies
tools and materials,
installation, maintenance,
servicing components, safety
and even physics.
What is there to remember?
All facts and procedures are
accessible from the Novit
Omnia and displayed in the
Holotek in front of me.

8. But what about your
certification?
Certifications are
meaningless. Look, over the
last 20 years, technology has
reorganized our lives. How
we communicate and
especially how and what we
need to learn have changed.

9. But…that’s
not…that’s not…not
even human bro.
Look, it’s really this simple. I
just show up to where I am
supposed to go and do what
the Novit Omnia tells me to
do. I use my hands and make
sure that no one gets hurt,
including myself. And then I
get paid.

10. What about being a
creative problem
solver? Come on
man, to be human is
to think, feel, create.
Kid, my pay is the same. If a
mistake is made, the Novit
Omnia is blamed and not
me. I’m just a pair of hands
doing what I’m told.

11. If you’re just a pair of
hands, then you will be
replaced by the
WorkDroids. Why am I
even bothering with this
false dream? There is no
security here.
The WorkDroids’ AI is fully
integrated into the Novit
Omnia so they have nothing
to learn. But until their
corporate masters get the
battery issues worked out, I
have job security.

12. But where is the
sense of wonder?
My life is predictable and
with that there is a certain
comfort. I have a roof over
my head and put meat on
the table for my family. Look
at our culture and social
environment and ask
yourself, how is this any
different?