Are Americans Losing Their DIY Skills?

Um, yes? Is this news? Not specifically bicycle-related, but this article from Popular Mechanics is very much in keeping with what this blog is really all about.

I think that a modicum of ability in dealing with the physical world is good even for those of us whose jobs are mostly cerebral. Engineer Vannevar Bush, one of the great minds of the 20th century, made his mark on everything from the Manhattan Project to the development of computers. But when he wasn’t commanding vast enterprises, Bush spent a lot of time in his basement workshop building things. He said that trying to make a finished project match his blueprints taught him humility and problem solving.

I'll second that with a vengeance. Especially the humility part.

Link, via Neatorama.