Joel On Software's discussion forum has an interesting topic about
reducing the need for programmers:
If you're good, don't worry: 12 Reasons.
I like Rod Martens's take on it:
I remember worrying about 4GL removing the need for programmers in the late 80s when I was starting out.
My dad, who is an Electrical Engineer, told me about the first new invention he heard about that was supposed to do away with the need for programmers.
It was called "Assembly Language". So much easier than raw machine code.
I think the reason there will always be programmers is that while our
tools will always make it easier to accomplish our tasks, our needs will
never decrease in complexity.
Wired:
The Plot to Kill
the Carp [via
Slashdot]
This strikes me as a great use of genetic engineering. If it works, it
will eliminate the problem species without harming any other species or
introducing any new alien species.
There might be a problem with the larger bioregion, though:
Fixing one feral problem often triggers another. When foxes were eradicated from a west coast peninsula two years ago, the cat population soared.
If the carp population is linked to some other harmful competitor,
destroying the carp could lead to a harmful boom. But the scientists think
they'll have plenty of time to work around that sort of problem -- wiping
out the carp will take over 20 years of continious stocking. If something
goes wrong, they can simply stop stocking daughterless carp and the
geneticly engineered fish will quickly become extinct.
I look forward to seeing the results of this experiment.