The news that gravitational waves were discovered, as well as wrinkles in the space-time continuum, was big news in my family. Of course, we knew it was coming. It was just a matter of when.
I have 11 and 12 year old girls (I can’t help it if the plumbing still works!). Whenever we drive somewhere, we carry out what Einstein called “thought experiments.”
They will come up with scientific questions, and I then direct them into finding their own answers through a series of prodding and hopeful questions. It is much like the children of royalty were tutored during the Middle Ages.
So they asked, “When will we get driverless cars, which they had heard about on TV?”
I answered in about five years, but that I had friends who run Tesla (TSLA) who already have them now. And you know the interesting thing they discovered? After a year of beta testing, the cars are starting to develop their own personalities.
Each car has highly advanced learning software. When the mapping software requires one to take a difficult sharp left turn, the vehicle may miss it the first time. It will then make the next legal U-turn, and then nail that turn every time in the future.
The cars are all programmed to drive like little old ladies. It will never speed, break the law, and always lets other cars cut in. Over time, some are becoming cautious, while others are getting more aggressive depending on each individual’s driving experience.
In other words, experience is turning them into “people.”
I asked, “What the world would be like if everyone had driverless cars?” which will occur in about 30 years, or during their middle age.
They pondered for a moment. Then my older daughter shouted out, “There won’t be car accidents any more!” “Right!” I answered.
“But what will that mean?”
They puzzled over this.
A few seconds passed. Then it came. “The people who fix cars won’t have anything to do!”
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