Noodle Robots Replacing Workers In Chinese Restaurants 531
kkleiner writes "Recently developed noodle-making robots have now been put into operation in over 3,000 restaurants in China. Invented by a noodle restaurant owner, each unibrow-sporting robot currently costs 10,000 yuan ($1,600), which is only three months wages for an equivalent human noodle cook. As the cost of the robot continues to drop, more noodle shops are bound to displace human workers for the tirelessly working cheaper robots."
Re:YouTube link (Score:4, Interesting)
In fact, as is typical on slashdot, the "news" is about 7 months old, so there are a lot more related materials:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGvHxLEhC5A [youtube.com]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwAgZ2WLQyA [youtube.com]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEfqmBMydZw [youtube.com]
Re:And it begins (Score:5, Interesting)
Fairly simply. You can survive on your allowance. Want more than survival? Get a job!
Re:And it begins (Score:4, Interesting)
Bingo.
If you eliminate the need for somebody to do a certain task, then that doesn't simply mean that eventually we'll run out of things to do. Now money that was once spent on a noodle cook can be spent on something else. Whether the restaurant spends it on something else, or whether they lower their price so their consumers can spend their money on something else, that money doesn't simply disappear.
The restaurant owner now has more income, so he maybe buys a nicer car.
Or
The customer now spends less on food, so now he buys some nicer shoes.
See "opportunity cost". Or, if you've ever heard of the "parable of the broken window", that is the alternative to this (e.g. forcing them to hire noodle cooks when they don't need them.) This isn't an emerging "job loss problem" that needs to be solved. Socialist types will never understand or accept this, but the market will reach equilibrium. It happens every time, and it has been doing so since time immemorial. Sadly Oregon hasn't learned this yet, and they still force you to pay somebody to pump your gas in order to keep unemployment down, meanwhile they are one of the most unemployed states in the US.
Re:And it begins (Score:4, Interesting)
Eventually the car and the shoes will be made by a robot. What then?
Stop playing politics, this is not a socialist concern, just a human one. What happens when all work or enough that unemployment exceeds 25% can be done by robots?
We used to work 100 hours, laws made that 40 hours. Without laws to enforce even shorter working hours or an more equitable split of resources all productivity gains are being captured by the top few percent. This argues against your claims.
Re:And it begins (Score:5, Interesting)
OK, here you go: a CNN report with chart of productivity and inflation-adjusted wages [cnn.com]. Note how hourly compensation perfectly tracks steady productivity gains up to ~1980, then completely flatlines thanks to Regan era "trickle-up" policies (continuing into the present day) while productivity continues on the same upwards trend.
Re:And it begins (Score:2, Interesting)
Be sure to work like busy little bees. Don't think too much or develop unusual hobbies. Just go with the flow and listen to what the TV tells you. Otherwise, who knows what could happen?
Re:And it begins (Score:5, Interesting)
This actually made unemployment worse
I never understood why "unemployment" was seen as "bad". In my eyes, 100% unemployment is the goal. Do you enjoy being forced to work just so you can eat?
Re:And it begins (Score:4, Interesting)