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Alex Fox's avatar

Your conclusion is one that I have reached as well. Our society is increasingly focused on adapting humans to suit the nature of machines, rather than vice versa.

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Stegiel's avatar

Since the 1870’s. As the story goes, John Henry was hired as a steel driver for the railroad. Later, the railroad company brought in a steam drill to speed up work on the tunnel. It was said that the steam drill could drill faster than any man. The challenge was on, “man against machine.” John Henry was known as the strongest, the fastest, and the most powerful man working on the railroad. He went up against the steam drill to prove that the black worker could drill a hole through the rock farther and faster than the drill could. Using two 10-pound hammers, one in each hand, he pounded the drill so fast and so hard that he drilled a 14-foot hole into the rock. The legend says that the drill was only able to drill nine feet. John Henry beat the steam drill and later died of exhaustion.

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Alex Fox's avatar

Yes, John Henry. The patron saint of industrialism. He may have won the battle, but the machines won the war.

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jacquelyn sauriol's avatar

My friend in 6th grade had that 45 record, In the Year 2525, on the back was the Build me up Buttercup song....probably listened to it a 100 times....

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Stegiel's avatar

I heard it on AM with my transistor. I got the Summer of Love Soundtrack on my transistor. KFRC made it to Sacramento. .

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Stegiel's avatar

In the Year 2525 but pick a date. I loved 20's SF growing up and kept reading till probably William Gibson.

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LaMaisonGelat's avatar

It's 3535, right?

I have been playing that song quite a lot of late....

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