To have and have not

We don't know how anything works anymore.  Sure, we know how to use it, but we don't have the slightest idea why it does what it does.  I don't know much about cars, but I can remember adjusting the timing on a car that had dual distributors, replacing a clutch slave, and doing the basic stuff that we all used to do when we could work on cars.  Now I barely know where the oil filter is, and there's not much a lot of us can do with cars anymore.  It's the same with a lot of technology.  You can take something apart,  and sometimes you, or more likely a "technician," can find what appears to be the problem.   But there's really nothing you/he/she can do about it but replace the part, or more likely just buy a new one.

And do you really understand electricity?  I don't think anybody does.  Imagine going back in time.  Could you really tell them much of anything or build much of anything? 

Society is increasingly being dichotomized into those that use technology and those that understand it.  That is, the haves and have-nots used to refer to wealth, but it increasingly is referring to knowledge, particularly technical knowledge.  But it's not just information, it's information that informs.  It's incredible how little of that there is.

Now and then

Our generation can do the do-it-yourselfer things.  Our fathers could fix anything and did all but the most difficult house improvements, and our grandfathers and before them could improvise and make stuff.  Our sons have and will have their little Black and Decker drills and some screwdrivers, and might use a paintbrush now and then but that's it. 

Our mothers knew how to cook, and our grandmothers and before them knew how to cook and create from scratch.  Our daughters need and will need detailed recipes and just the right ingredients, but more commonly will heat and serve.

On the other hand, I remember that my grandfather, who had a doctorate in genetics, seemed never to be able to master the nuances of a microwave.  I'm pretty certain he could master this machine, but saw no reason to clutter his life with unnecessary technology.  And that is the conundrum for older folks.  It's hard enough to learn something new, but does that new thing perform better enough to justify the additional learning? 

For young folks, growing up in the age of technology, the learning curve is not so steep.  So as they lose the ability to make and build, they are becoming masters of technology.  The trick is knowing when the technology is needed, and what is lost when using technology. Do we really need a calculator function on a computer?