Business consultant and financial writer George Ure discussed what he calls the "15-Year Problem," which deals with issues that'll arise in the world based on technological, social, and economic trends. He foresees specific problems arriving by 2019, with developments in robotics taking away jobs, and a rise in interest rates hurting the stock and housing markets. The Internet, he noted, has opened up an international market for many jobs, such as writing assignments that can be done cheaper by someone in India than in the US, as well as software like Chimp Rewriter that can understand and rewrite text using a kind of AI.
Ure stressed that with the advancement of various technologies, many people may need to look for new types of work. Self driving cars, for instance, could make truck drivers obsolete, and not only would they lose their jobs, but people in related professions such as truck stop workers, motel employees, and mechanics, could all be impacted, he pointed out. 3-D printing capabilities could also destroy jobs, and radically change our world, as they eventually develop into something like Star Trek-like "replicators," he cautioned.
In career planning, he suggested looking into fields that can't be automated, such as heating and ventilation contracting, where individuals will still be required to visit sites and make repairs. In terms of trends for the next five years, he predicted that we'll see the stock market lose from 30-50% of its value, gold will come down to under a $1,000 an ounce, and oil prices will move back up to a $150 a barrel range, causing a dip in the economy. However, he doesn't see a meltdown of the US dollar, and still considers it a safe haven.
Concepts of Luck
First hour guest, author Tony Davidson (book link) talked about concepts of luck, and reacted to a recent story about a boy who fell out of a third floor apartment window and was miraculously saved by a neighbor. Americans tend to associate luck with money, but Davidson believes it runs deeper-- there are many facets to luck, including health, relationships, and sports, he noted. Beyond practicing positive thinking, there are certain tools to enhance your luck, he added, such as changing your focus, if one area in your life is not working.
News segment guests: Neil Slade, Lauren Weinstein