h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

On the radio yesterday I heard an interesting statistic...

2/3s of pre-school aged (4-5) will have a job in the future that doesn't exsist now.....

I just wonder what some of these jobs may be...
Something like

Time machine mechanic
or
Cyberneticist
or...
Any thoughts


Hel2

Counsellor to computers that fail the Turing test.

Management consultant consultant?

Cybernetiscists already work in the UK (University of Reading has a Cybernetics Dept., the head has already become cyborg temporarily, networked himself to his wife and had her brain move his fingers)

Outdoor infusing consultation administritive action acounting staff.

Dodo keeper.

Non Offical Time handling Administrative Loaning Opperative Trainee.

Maker-up of statistics

On a similar note, there will be eleven billion people in thirty years' time...

Plus we've not always been that* good at predicting teh future.... And scientific development isn't a constant beast, moving as it does in stops and starts.... Many of the technologies developed over the last fifty years, are still in their infancy, and will continue with some vigor for some time to come... E.G., DNA technology/genetic modification/gene therapy/genetic testing etc...

Buckminsterfullerine Assistant Administrator

Bioinformatic proteonomic aplience engineer.

Tea boy, Galactic High Command.

Liam.

Person who knows alot about what the world was like before... or Wise one.

-- DoctorMO --

"On a similar note, there will be eleven billion people in thirty years' time..."

One can only hope...

wait a sec, 11 billion from 6 billion in 30 years, who did the maths? My accountant?

-- DoctorMO --

Certainly not someone who's window faced west.

Equally, I wonder how many of us who are currently working are in jobs which will not exist in the future?

I can certainly see the number of people required as actual computer programmers reducing and being concentrated in certain areas as the rise of code generators continues.

sorry ictoan, but I can't agree with that one.

every year people predict the end of computer programming, and every year the job description changes a little, and you end up with more, not less programmers.

also, as we move further towards an information economy, then library science will become more important, as will the programs to support it.

as computers are becoming more important and interconnected, fewer users can get away with blissfull ignorance of the consequences of getting things wrong. just look at spam and virus management as an example.

as regards the difficulty of predicting technology, we are actually fairly good at it. the problem comes when a social element comes into the prediction, which we are abismal at predicting.

it is the gap between being able to predict what is possible and what is probable.

"as regards the difficulty of predicting technology, we are actually fairly good at it. "

We failed to predict that the 20th century would end.

This is "fairly good"???

H.

Doormat for the super rich (I know, my pessimisms is showing)

Android mechanic (I wonder if they will be both male and female androids for sexual companionship along with household duties or if they will be just for dangerous and boring jobs that no one wants)

Deep Space Pilot (would this be a new job or an evolution of an existing job?)

Wrap engine mechanic (more power Scotty!)