Centaurs, terminators and potholes

Digital centaur: mand and machine. A man with a computer motherboard as a chest.

Centaur: In classical mythology, this creature has the head, torso and arms of a man, and the body and legs of a horse.

Today we use the term “centaur” to describe the concept of a half human, half machine. It will combine computer precision and performance with human intuition and creativity.

The rise of computers

One of my favourite articles is “The Obligation of the Programmer”, written by Robert K. Martin. I love this statement:

Think about it; and think about it carefully. Nothing happens in our society without software. Nothing.

This week a close family member had heart bypass surgery. It’s been very scary. But it’s also been amazing to know that technology has made it possible.

I spent one trip to the hospital trying to count all the places where computers intersect our lives. I gave up when I remembered that the car I was driving contains at least 50 computers.

It’s time, but not terminator time

I don’t believe robots will take over the world, ala Terminator and a dozen other Sci-Fi movies. (Although, given the war in Ukraine, robots might do a better job of things.) Instead, we’ll embrace the concept of the digital centaur.

At first I hated the term “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (4IR). But it’s called a revolution for a reason. It is a technological revolution that will disrupt almost every industry. We already see how the way we live and work is changing in fundamental ways. That’s why every article about the future of work stresses the need for digital skills.

In the past, the people who contacted us about learning to program were job seekers. But that’s changed. Now I get calls from employed people who want coding skills to secure their jobs.

Take the step

Not everyone needs or wants to be a software developer. But understanding the basics of programming will soon be a critical skill.

As I wrote last week, our Programming Basics course is now available as an online course. The course will open on 11 April 2022, and includes 6 coaching calls.

If you are interested, please go to the Programming Basics online course and fill in your details. That does not oblige you to buy. It is to ensure that I only send emails with more details to people who are actually interested.

L&D specialists: we can make the online course part of your reskilling program.

The ideal robot

After a pothole took out my tyre a few weeks ago, I have an idea for a much-needed robot. It will automatically identify potholes and fix them, without any government involvement. I call it the “Tyre-Anti-Terminator”. And each time it will say “Hasta la vista, pothole!”

What new computer technology are you hoping for? Hit reply and share it with me.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Thank You

We're Excited!

Thank you for completing the form. We're excited that you have chosen to contact us about training. We will process the information as soon as we can, and we will do our best to contact you within 1 working day. (Please note that our offices are closed over weekends and public holidays.)

Don't Worry

Our privacy policy ensures your data is safe: Incus Data does not sell or otherwise distribute email addresses. We will not divulge your personal information to anyone unless specifically authorised by you.

If you need any further information, please contact us on tel: (27) 12-666-2020 or email info@incusdata.com

How can we help you?

Let us contact you about your training requirements. Just fill in a few details, and we’ll get right back to you.