[GrahamL]

>This raises some big questions, of course, and not the least of which is how this will affect the social and economic status of these professions. Nurses may be more valued than surgeons; kindergarten teachers paid better than university professors.

If we maintain a capitalist economy and a large number of jobs do become mechanized (and not replaced with new jobs) it stands to reason that competition for the remaining jobs will increase. Competition results in driving the market price for jobs down, not up. While human nurses WOULD be paid better than robot surgeons, I don't think wages would increase--they'd decrease.