D Skilled Labor

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The fast food industry is built on the idea that you don't need a skilled fry cook to make a burger, because this automated grill is doing it for you. The loom makes it much easier for for weaving to be done by unskilled labors. D skilling has been integral to the expansion of amazon and countless other businesses. U but when you de skill a task, you make it very easy to recruit new workers - which gives you less incentive to retain.

As the holidays approach, we are being reminded of the fragility of the global supply chain. But at the same time, the supply chain itself is a truly impressive and fascinating structure, made as it is from multiple components that must work together in synchrony. From building an item in a factory and shipping it worldwide to transporting it locally, processing it in a distribution center, and finally delivering it to an address, the system is simultaneously awe-inspiring and deeply dehumanizing. I talk with Christopher Mims about how things are made, how they get to us, and what it all means for the present and future of our work and our lives.

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Christopher Mims received a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavioral biology from Emory University. He is currently a technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal. He has previously written for publications such as Wired, Scientific American, The Atlantic, and Smithsonian. His new book is Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door — Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy.

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