# What event would make your profession obsolete? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 15, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450 "2013-05-15T21:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/21 "2013-05-15T23:17:50Z")
To paraphrase **Voyager** , when people stop being stupid and evil **and** when people no longer have acute serious illnesses or accidents with serious injuries **and** when mother nature stops setting the occasional thing on fire, then I am out of work. I think I’m safe. I am a 9-1-1 operator. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/22 "2013-05-15T23:44:23Z")
As a credit risk officer and analyst? If everyone was chipped and estafa were a capital offense. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/23 "2013-05-16T00:00:50Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > I’m a nurse. Only the end of the world will make me obsolete. Meet ya in the unemployment line. Unless, of course, everyone starts picking better parents and eating right and exercising and not smoking. Then we might be laid off, as they’ll need many fewer of us. But there are always people being hit by buses and eaten by tigers, so let’s look on the bright side! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/24 "2013-05-16T00:01:25Z")
The Rapture. Or maybe not… depends on how many left behinders will want to build houses and have occupancy instead of just moving into the empties. (for my construction business) (come to think of it, remodel might pick up…) My photo business should pick up. Lots of nude portraits to do. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/25 "2013-05-16T00:11:00Z")
Ain’t gonna happen. I’m a Commercial Carpenter and General Contractor. I don’t see robotics ever being able to replace my trade. Houses and buildings are never going to ‘build themselves’. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/26 "2013-05-16T00:49:25Z")
The end of global poverty would put me out of a job. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/27 "2013-05-16T01:00:10Z")
When people get used to a global production staff. I currently have a title that sounds like I’m a manager. In reality, I am the US-based face/voice representing approximately a zillion people working halfway around the world with less-than-perfect English. When people stop caring about that, I’ll be gone in a heartbeat. I hope to be doing something else long before that time. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/28 "2013-05-16T01:09:28Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > I’m a nurse. Only the end of the world will make me obsolete. My answer as well. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/29 "2013-05-16T01:29:27Z")
I’m in retail sales with an emphasis on customization. When people get Star Trek- like replicators in their homes and can have the gift of their choice custom created and teleported to their homes, we will be out of business. Other than the total collapse of the worlds economies and annihilation of almost all humanity, someone is Lways going to need to buy something from someone else. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/30 "2013-05-16T01:53:03Z")
Universal comprehension of over 50 major languages. I think I’m safe. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/31 "2013-05-16T02:47:06Z")
Mass extinction ☹ I’m a zoo educator. As long as one mouse remains, one silkworm, one earthworm…! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/32 "2013-05-16T02:58:17Z")
Teacher. Downloadable knowledge and skills **might** make my job obsolete–but given how much of my job is responding to individual student needs, it’s gonna have to be a lot better than a one-size-fits-all download. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/33 "2013-05-16T03:10:36Z")
Another info security guy here. To put my current job at risk, banks would have to abandon mainframes. I don’t think that will ever happen in our lifetimes. It would take a few EMPs (Electro-Magnetic Pulses) to destroy every last computer and power system on the planet before my career would be in any serious jeopardy. And even then, we’d have to abolish money and all other things of value that people covet. As noted above, people are just too sneaky. ---
**Author:** ![Renifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Renifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renifer)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/34 "2013-05-16T04:34:15Z")
Illiteracy. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/35 "2013-05-16T05:02:11Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > An apocolyptic zombie virus. > > An LTE meteor collision. > > Pretty much anything that would end humanity. In your case, drug legalization would also do it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/36 "2013-05-16T05:13:17Z")
I’m just a simple country programmer. Any artificial intelligence able to fix itself would put me out of business before long. Luckily the first attempt will be built by human intelligence and it will be a long time before it works right. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/37 "2013-05-16T05:40:43Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > I’m a nurse. Only the end of the world will make me obsolete. > [@WhyNot](#): > > Meet ya in the unemployment line. > > Unless, of course, everyone starts picking better parents and eating right and exercising and not smoking. Then we might be laid off, as they’ll need many fewer of us. But there are always people being hit by buses and eaten by tigers, so let’s look on the bright side! 😃 > [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > My answer as well. I’m an ER tech, working on becoming a Physician’s Assistant. I think I’m set. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/38 "2013-05-16T09:48:26Z")
Television, film and videogames have made the theatre pretty much obsolete. It’s a reality for me. Fun times. ☹ That’s why I am doing a sensible master’s degree. My master’s will hopefully mean that only the end of all conflict and the abolition of countries would make whatever profession I might have obsolete. Fingers crossed that if that does happen, it is something I personally accomplish around the age of retirement! And that at the same time I un-invent television, so I can go back to the theatre! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/39 "2013-05-16T13:06:40Z")
I’m an aid worker specializing in working in conflict zones. World peace would be very bad for business. ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450/40 "2013-05-16T13:18:28Z")
1.) online meetings used in place of in- person at clients / suppliers, such as NetMeeting or Webex 2.) real time plant manufacturing data, such as Plex Online, which shows how much product is at which cell, CpK, product shipped, etc… 3.) real time high res cameras in manufacturing plants, at each operation, with passwords given to the customer. 4.) Paperless office All 4 of these items have been proven, and in use, by a small number of companies. Even fewer deploy all four. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-event-would-make-your-profession-obsolete/658450.md?page=3)