as they are reinforced

English translation: because tools are made even more powerful (by addition of...)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:as they are reinforced
Selected answer:because tools are made even more powerful (by addition of...)
Entered by: Yvonne Gallagher

09:22 Aug 29, 2019
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Government / Politics
English term or phrase: as they are reinforced
Hello everyone,

From the book Thank You for Being Late by Thomas Friedman.

I realize that in the dizzying moment we’re experiencing right now, both blue-collar and white-collar workers in the developed and developing world feel like they are just one small step ahead of a machine or robot making their job obsolete. I understand that in such a transition it is much easier for humans to visualize what they will lose than all the benefits they will gain, or already have gained.

But it is impossible for me to believe that with so many more people now empowered to invent, compete, create, and collaborate, with so many more cheap and powerful tools enabling us to optimize social and commercial and governmental interactions, that we won’t develop the capability to solve the big social and health problems in the world and that, in the process, we won’t also find ways for humans to become even more resilient, productive, and prosperous ***as they are reinforced*** by intelligent machines.

Does as in "as they are reinforced" mean "because" or is it a conjunction of time reflecting two gradual processes - one of becoming more resilient... and the other of being reinforced by intelligent machines?

I asked this quesion on another forum (more than 12 hours ago), but, unfortunately, no answers so far.

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/as-they-are-reinforc...

Thank you.
Mikhail Korolev
Local time: 15:03
because tools are made even more powerful by intelligent machines
Explanation:
I am taking a different view here. I believe the word "reinforce" relates to the tools that enable people. Yes it's a bit further back in the sence but the subclauses can be removed

But it is impossible for me to believe that with so many more people now empowered to invent, compete, create, and collaborate, with so many more cheap and powerful tools enabling us to optimize social and commercial and governmental interactions,[ ... ]we won’t also find ways for humans to become even more resilient, productive, and prosperous as they =tools are reinforced by intelligent machines.

I really can't see "reinforced" as referring to humans. It just isn't the right word to use.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2019-08-29 13:19:08 GMT)
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Otherwise I would agree with David in DBOX that the the writer wanted to get tha idea of humans being "supported and indeed displaced by..." machines but then the rest of the sentence doesbn't really work. I think "they" has to refer to the tools and not the humans. It's rather clumsily written...

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Note added at 4 hrs (2019-08-29 13:28:06 GMT)
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in other words, the intelligent machines added to (reinforcing) the already-existing tools will give humans even more ways "to become even more resilient, productive, and prosperous..."

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Note added at 4 hrs (2019-08-29 13:29:11 GMT)
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just notice typo in 1st line "sence"> SENTENCE

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Note added at 1 day 4 hrs (2019-08-30 14:01:21 GMT) Post-grading
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Glad to help
Selected response from:

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 12:03
Grading comment
Many thanks to everyone.
Thank you, Yvonne.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4as intelligent machines give them more capabilities and capacities to act
airmailrpl
4because they are reinforced
Larissa Hanko
4being reinforced
Erta Zykaj
4while they are reinforced
Nina Cook
4because tools are made even more powerful by intelligent machines
Yvonne Gallagher
3as they are made/become more effective
Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
***as they are reinforced*** by intelligent machines.
as intelligent machines give them more capabilities and capacities to act


Explanation:
***as they are reinforced*** by intelligent machines. => as intelligent machines give them more capabilities and capacities to act

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 09:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Robert.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: Mikhail is asking about the meaning of "as", so you can't repeat that word in your definiton.
3 hrs
  -> I can repeat any word that I choose in my "Suggestion" - and the asker can decide if it helps his understanding - or not
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
because they are reinforced


Explanation:
Since the point of the sentence is that technological development is empowering people to make life better, I'm pretty sure what he means is "because". Intelligent machines are supporting human inventiveness and productivity, that's the point he makes.

Larissa Hanko
Germany
Local time: 13:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Larissa.

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34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
being reinforced


Explanation:
I think that the phrase "as they are reinforced" refers to all these capabilities of humans (more resilient, productive and prosperous) being reinforced by intelligent machines.

Erta Zykaj
Canada
Native speaker of: Native in AlbanianAlbanian
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Erta.

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
while they are reinforced


Explanation:
<in the process, we won’t also find ways for humans to become even more resilient, productive, and prosperous ***as they are reinforced*** by intelligent machines.>

It means "at the same time as being reinforced", or "while" they are reinforced. This is due to the author having previously written "in the process" - the author is describing a process of more than one thing happening at the same time.

Nina Cook
Spain
Local time: 13:03
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Nina.

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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
as they are made/become more effective


Explanation:
... by intelligent machines.

Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
Mexico
Local time: 07:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Juan.

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
because tools are made even more powerful by intelligent machines


Explanation:
I am taking a different view here. I believe the word "reinforce" relates to the tools that enable people. Yes it's a bit further back in the sence but the subclauses can be removed

But it is impossible for me to believe that with so many more people now empowered to invent, compete, create, and collaborate, with so many more cheap and powerful tools enabling us to optimize social and commercial and governmental interactions,[ ... ]we won’t also find ways for humans to become even more resilient, productive, and prosperous as they =tools are reinforced by intelligent machines.

I really can't see "reinforced" as referring to humans. It just isn't the right word to use.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2019-08-29 13:19:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Otherwise I would agree with David in DBOX that the the writer wanted to get tha idea of humans being "supported and indeed displaced by..." machines but then the rest of the sentence doesbn't really work. I think "they" has to refer to the tools and not the humans. It's rather clumsily written...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2019-08-29 13:28:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

in other words, the intelligent machines added to (reinforcing) the already-existing tools will give humans even more ways "to become even more resilient, productive, and prosperous..."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2019-08-29 13:29:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

just notice typo in 1st line "sence"> SENTENCE

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 4 hrs (2019-08-30 14:01:21 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Glad to help

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 12:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 56
Grading comment
Many thanks to everyone.
Thank you, Yvonne.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Yvonne.

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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