# What job would you have in 1954, 1904? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623 "2014-06-25T17:12:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623/41 "2014-06-26T15:54:44Z")
They had loafers and scalawags back then too; I would have been just fine. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623/42 "2014-06-26T17:01:52Z")
There were government statisticians in 1954, so I could have been doing the same work then. But Lord, would it ever be painful to do without computing tools from the 1980s or later. OTOH, the ratio of math PhDs to full-time college professor positions was quite favorable in the mid-1950s, so I could have been doing that instead. And I could have been a college professor in 1904 as well, when government statisticians didn’t exist for all practical purposes. > [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > My job of forecasting losses for insurance companies has been around for hundreds of years. I could have been doing it at any time since the Middle Ages. > > In 1904, to be sure, there wasn’t much science behind it; the Casualty Actuarial Society wasn’t founded until 1914. That made mathematical and probabilistic intuition all the more important. > > By 1954 I could have taken exams and become a CAS member just like today. The only difference is that I would work with pencil, ledger paper, and typewriter instead of Word and Excel. Could have been doing that in 1904, but probably wouldn’t have had the patience to pass the series of exams in 1954. Also, I don’t know how much writing an actuary has to do to explain how he came up with his risk assessments (I’d guess it would be a nontrivial part of the job), but I wouldn’t have wanted any career involving much writing before the age of personal word processing. It would feel like having an arm amputated. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623/43 "2014-06-26T17:31:48Z")
In 1954 I’d probably still be a statistician, possibly and actuary. In 1904 I’d probably be a college professor in mathematics. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623/44 "2014-06-26T17:46:29Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Lawyer. So yay! Same. In fact, I have on occasion cited cases from before 1904 - and I know you have, too. Remember this game? 😃 [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=705567&highlight="code+justinian"](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=705567&highlight=%22code+justinian%22) ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623/45 "2014-06-26T18:42:51Z")
2014: Commercial insurance broker specializing in shipping & logistics companies. 1954: Ditto 1904: Ditto That’s boring. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623/46 "2014-06-26T19:07:48Z")
Same job I have now but type- or hand-writing everything. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623/47 "2014-06-26T19:10:15Z")
Electrical engineer. Probably could be doing that job in 1954 and 1904. However, I mostly do programming for “Smart Grid” applications so my exact work would be different in those years. Still, I like to think I know enough about power systems to have scraped by 110 years ago. In 1904 I could have been a Tesla contemporary, cleaning up after the War of the Currents. Exciting time. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623/48 "2014-06-26T19:25:54Z")
Carpenter. That was my original intent before getting into electronics and computers. 1904 would be a challenge. All hand tools. No plywood sheeting. A lot more work and carpenters back then were more skilled. It would be quite a shock to go back to that time. Heck they still used square nails. 😉 Carpenters today have different skills. They have to know all the code requirements. Insulation, vapor barrier and attic venting are very important. You get mold if its done wrong. Carpentry today is more technical. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-job-would-you-have-in-1954-1904/691623.md?page=2)