What's the biggest change the world has seen in your lifetime?

[bobspud]

The biggest change is the disastrous decline of engineering vs the rise of bean counting.

In my life time we have launched and canned both concord and the space shuttle. I doubt that either project would get the green light now.
We built entire railway networks once. Now it seems we cant even manage simple line extensions without hundreds of hangers on doing non jobs...

[shaunbhoy]

Yep, that's because the baby boomers are now saddled with offspring that seem unable or unwilling to stand on their own two feet, and largely sit there with their hands out whining for instant gratification as if it is some sort of divine right of passage.

ftfy

[d000hg]

According to the mechanic that replaced my bulbs it's impossible to replace the bulbs on the newest e-class without removing the bumper. I guess I'll be shopping around for something different next time then. Shame, I'm otherwise very satisfied with the car.

OTOH, modern bulbs really shouldn't BE failing anything like as often (maybe at all in the life of the car), and accessibility for rarely failing parts becomes less critical.

[shaunbhoy]

The biggest change has been the loss of the long hot summers and the loss of freedom. As a five year old I could walk half a mile to school on my own and even play with other kids in the woods without fear. In my teens I used to cycle to school being a six mile round trip and from June onwards regularly cycle to the beach after school being and eight mile round trip.

People never bothered locking the doors of the house. Summers were long and hot. When I first started driving, nobody locked their car and they would often leave valuables in the car without fear.

Maybe, but for those of us not raised on a Pikey Camp, the reality was a little different.

[TimberWolf]

The biggest change is the disastrous decline of engineering vs the rise of bean counting.

In my life time we have launched and canned both concord and the space shuttle. I doubt that either project would get the green light now.
We built entire railway networks once. Now it seems we cant even manage simple line extensions without hundreds of hangers on doing non jobs...

Good riddance to the Space Shuttle, which set us (or the US specifically) 40 years off-track. Now NASA have engines in the pipeline to rival that of the Saturn V's of the 1960s, and the Moon and Mars and beyond are back on the agenda.

[Old Greg]

The introduction of a culture of fines and punishments for minor misdemeanors or youthful exuberance, where a straightforward warning from a policeman would do the trick. So-called 'zero tolerance' policies, which actually amount to 'zero brains' policies. Not only in the UK this, but here in NL the police stop people for all sorts of mistakes, minor traffic offenses or silly business and the first words are literally 'you are going to recieve a fine', where a talking-to would suffice and probably maintain better relations between police and citizens. I also get the impression that young people don't have much freedom any more. Extremely strict legislation on underage drinking, tuning up mopeds, swimming in open water etc mean that if I was 16 now I'd probably have several ASBOs or a list of offences to my name; I was a bit rebellious in my explorations of booze, motorbikes, heavy metal and girls, but absolutely not a criminal teenager and certainly didn't do anything (deliberately) to harm other people.

If we could redirect these fines to snack manufacturers for reducing product size, we could kill two bird with one stone.

[Spacecadet]

In my life time we have launched and canned both concord and the space shuttle. I doubt that either project would get the green light now.
We built entire railway networks once. Now it seems we cant even manage simple line extensions without hundreds of hangers on doing non jobs...

Apart from the passing of an era, I don't see what the tears for concorde are for. It wasn't commercially viable anymore and the planes had reached the end of their useful/safe life span.
We now know that it is possible to build a faster than sound aircraft but untill the big hurdle of having to burn huge amounts of fuel to get there a bit faster can be overcome, it's not going to be replaced.

Had neither concorde or the space shuttle been done before then I think they would probably get the green light now. The Concorde concept would be oversold as usual and airlines would be rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of charging thousands of pounds for a slightly faster service.

[Mich the Tester]

ftfy

No, I don't agree at all. Many people under the age of about 40 or so (kids of baby boomers) are very hard working, very ambitious and certainly wish to stand on their own two feet. I deal with young people (between about 15 and 25) from all sorts of backgrounds a great deal in both work and sport and I can get quite angry about old farts judging them and saying they all have it so easy. They don't have the generous student grants that were provided to people in the 60s and 70s, they don't have the generous social security of the 70s, they don't have the nearly full employment of the past, they have to compete like mad for any job while being lectured about being feckless, and how oh so wonderful Chinese and Indian employees are, because they'll work stupid hours and destroy their own health without caring, just for the handsome wage of one turd and a bag of rice per week. Yes, some young people know how to play the benefits system, but most are actually bloody solid characters and I'm privileged to be able to work with them.

Please stop knocking young people; it just makes you look like Victor Meldrew.

[NickFitz]

However it all really took off with the 8080 in 1974.

And the x86 architecture really does trace back to that. Which explains why it's so hideous.

WTGALS

[DimPrawn]

Uncontrolled and massive immigration on a scale never seen before and mostly from 3rd World countries.

The Impact of Migration on UK Population Growth | The Migration Observatory