Is There Hope?

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A, is there hope? Whether it's in the amazon fulfilment centre, in the trucking industry for a more humane working conditions being enforced by law. The only provision that i'm aware of that's in the infra structure bill, which may not pass anyway, came from the american trucking association. And get it, is a request that they lower the agea at which you can get a commercial driver's license, from 21 to 18. So the a t a is just like, hay, get us more cannon fodder. Also, ten agers with their teen age brains are going to be driving these, you know, enormous trucks on our roads.

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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