Muzings From The Edge: Technology and Teaching and Other Stuff
Read Time:6 Minute, 55 Second
In the sixty plus years I have been on this earth I have been fortunate to have witnessed wondrous changes in this old world. Yes, there have also been some awful catastrophes and mighty blunders committed by mankind but those shall wait for another day. Today we focus on the changes, particularly in technology, that have transpired and as witnessed by one small mind. Of course those of my age can probably remember what they did before having television. Younger folks can only listen to the old folks and shake their heads and wonder how we survived. It is difficult to explain how kids could actually sit in front of a radio and listen to programs such as “The Green Lantern” and “The Shadow” and enjoy it. Even when one tries to explain programs like “Fibber McGee and Molly” or “Burns and Allen” which the whole family sat around and listened to, they just stare at you like you are a front loading washing machine with a glass door. Trust me ye of young ages and little faith, not only did we sit there fixated on that magic box with a big lighted dial on it but we really loved it. To us it was “magic”.
Then around the early 1950’s, depending on where you lived and how much money you had another magic box came along except instead of a big lighted dial on it there was a glass panel with a moving picture in it just like at the movies. It wasn’t really life like because it was all in black and white, but it was still fascinating as hell to us. Our first television was a 13” black and white Zenith I think and it had the “rabbit ears” antennas sitting on top of it. Little did I know at ten years old that I hadn’t seen nuttin’ yet. As that decade progressed, technology forged ahead and by 1960 we had a color television. By today’s standards the color was not that great. It seemed to always have too much green or too much red in it and no matter how you adjusted it nothing ever seemed to be the right color. During the 1960’s the world of technology seemed to be picking up a bit of steam. Most of what I saw was limited to what I learned as an aviation ordinance man in a Marine fighter squadron (VMF 333) playing with Sidewinder missiles and 20mm guns. If that isn’t a scary thought I don’t know what is. Sophisticated electronics, high explosives and a high school drop out from south Alabama. It gives me the shakes just thinking about the damage I could have done. In the late sixties I was working as a police officer when our small department was connected to the Alabama Crime Information System which was our connection to the National Crime Information System. I was also aware of a small fact that a couple of guys from America went for a brief stroll … on the moon! So here I am in about 15 years of my life seeing, but not realizing it at the time, things changing from us having little black and white pictures to huge full color pictures on something called television. We went from having planes with propellers, to high flying jets, to rockets that would take men to the moon and back. I know, there was a lot of stuff I didn’t know about and even if I did it doesn’t sound like that much when we look back at it now.
I remember during my undergraduate and master’s studies at the University of Alabama a computer was a machine by any definition of the word. At the computer lab there was something mysterious and almost mystical about walking into the place. The machines running behind the walls where only a chosen few people, who were obviously geniuses and very gifted, were allowed to go created a loud humming white noise. We mere mortals had to use the key punch machines in the work area where we would work for hours punching holes in cards that were intended to give these huge bedroom size machines instructions to perform tasks for us. These machines demanded absolute precision. Not a period, a comma, or a semi colon could be out of place. If anything and I mean any little thing, was not precisely put in the right place, the machines would print all sorts of nasty things on your work. Fast forward to the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. I bought my first personal computer in 1979. It was a Radio Shack 4K Color Computer. It was so fascinating I would sit and play with it for hours (obviously it didn’t take much to amuse me) trying to write programs in BASIC. Yeah, good luck with that. In two years I had upgrade to a 32K machine and had a Word Star program for it. I thought this was serious computing. I co authored an introductory textbook on that computer saving my work on a cassette recorder and printing it out on a printer about the size of a bathroom tissue dispenser. That technology ball was seriously rolling downhill now, so I thought.
Once again we leap forward to present times. I am sitting here in the comfort of my home writing this on a computer resting on my lap; a laptop computer if you please. A friend of mine who was once director of the old computer lab says this laptop has more computing capacity and storage capacity that any one of those big machines did in 1970. Yet this weighs about seven pounds and the screen is in beautiful color instead black with green writing. When I finish with this I will send it out somewhere and it will be accessible to virtually anyone on earth who has nothing better to do but read my ramblings, all without leaving my recliner. Anytime I have a question about something I can simply Google it and thousands of possible answers magically appear. Even at half my age the closest I could get to this was to have a set of encyclopedias or live next door to a library. Twice each week I teach two seminars with students who are literally all over the world. True, I can’t see them and they can’t see me, but when I was teaching in the classrooms there were times when I am sure that it would have been better for both the students and me if we had not been able to see each other. Some people just did not understand when the weekend was supposed to end, you know? As I sit here I can also simply push a button to turn in my large sized high definition television which is run through a theater type sound system so I can virtually go to the movies by moving only a few muscles. Throw in the many amazing meals I can cook in minutes with my micro wave oven.
Now this technology ball is truly rolling down the hill and it is picking speed all the time. It has been a truly amazing trip so far but I have to wonder about the future at the speed things are changing. Is there a point where we will no longer be able to control technology and mankind becomes a slave to it? I mean let’s face it all I can do is sit back and marvel at the changes for the few years I left since no one lives forever. But you who are younger may want to be thinking about what is to come. Will artificial intelligence eventually replace human intelligence? Given the way some of our country’s leaders are acting these days that does not necessarily bode all that bad for the country. At least the A.I will be more rational. Or worse yet, will only those rich enough to own the most sophisticated technology control everything and everyone? Hopefully neither, but given the behavior of humans recently who or what can be trusted these days? Have a nice day as you ponder these trivial issues. Until next week Lazersedge is out!
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What’s in the future?
Well for the good stuff…If it can be based on tech trends, exponential increases in connectivity and networked information. Terabyte network speeds on wireless networks. All the information (or misinformation) of the world at your fingertips or connected directly into your brain. Quantum and parallel computing simulating and solving most of today’s puzzles.
Now the bad stuff….Privacy is going to be an ancient concept as data mining and databases grow larger and more efficient. Human nature will probably remain about the same so there is going to be increased capabilities of creating havoc on a large scale by cyberterror. Individualism will be tougher to maintain as people that don’t play by the rules of society cannot survive off the “grid”. And even after 40 years, BlockBuster is still trying to collect that $1.75 late fee on that movie you rented.
Krell there is one thing I hope to see before me toes turn upward. You know how the computer speeds keep getting faster and faster. I would like to live long enough that when I think of something the computer simply prints it on the screen for me. That would really be cool! Think I will make it?
There are several companies already coming out with products that use brain wave sensors. Texas Instruments has a product that is able to detect brain wave speech patterns, interpret those patterns into speech and transmit that by wireless. Another is developing a brain wave system where you think the words and they are “typed” on computer.
But as the old SciFi movie “Forbidden Planet” showed, when thoughts materialize into actions, beware the subconscious ID.
Another line from the movie…”The fool, the meddling idiot! As though his ape’s brain could contain the secrets of the Krell!” LOL!!
Oh no! Nothing could contain the secrets of The Krell, except perhaps The Morgan-Krell!!!
Yeah, I would want one typing everything I thought, just what I wanted it to. lol
You’ll be telling me next you walked to school 10 miles uphill all the way, and 10 miles back uphill again.
Hey! I did that. Through the snow no less 🙂
BigHarry H you would be surprised my friend. As often as my family moved during my youth that could well be true. lol However, I grew up in south Alabama so I can’t say anything about the snow being three feet deep though. Now the hurricanes, that’s another story altogether. Thanks for the comment.
Gwen I haven’t thought about Boston Blackie in years but I have watched a few of the old Peter Gunn shows. They all bring back memories. Peter Gunn was one of my mother’s favorities.
LE: I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed your post~! It took me back a bit too… I remember sneaking out to the edge of the hallway to try and catch a glimpse of Star Trek as my parents watched it. (I was supposed to be in bed by then.) I remember getting the Radio Shack computer, Compuserve, the expense of the WWW and gee… it’s been a hellva journey. I’m only a few feet behind you 🙂 I can remember the green worded screen of DOS in the Olin or Uris Libraries at college and how we had to feed specific questions to troll for info. “Information is the currency of the future!” was a connective retort in those days. I can’t remember ever having b/w tv as our main tv. Mine, in my bedroom was a little b/w. We always had a color, large model and Lazer, I have to say, much family time was shared in front of it… as much as sports, the family boating that kept us on the ocean most of non-school days and well, I remember watching the moon walk. Our house was one of the first in the country to have cable… what is now Comcast (down here) was once another company created by a neighbor across the canal and we had HBO, TBS and some NYC stations… I came home from college to find it endlessly fascinating…
I have a Mac PowerBook, but I built a major amount of my company on a Gateway PC that I am so grateful to have had. But I would not give up my Mac or iPhone for anything. I have a older tv, huge one in bedroom … cuz someone gave it to me! The lcd I really want is out of my $ range for the moment. LOL My music, even many movies are accessed through my laptop. My ‘steros’ have evolved a LARGE amount! And as a photographer, I was always a Nikon woman. Still am. (best quality lens)
But I do love books. I collect them and read them and love them… and while Kindle is probably a good idea for budgeting, I just love books and have ‘to have’ them.
I think we are store for much larger leaps in technology up ahead… so hold you hat!
MM… I was born in the same year as the Mouseketeers! I keep looking for some old shows on the retro channels like
Hawaiian Eye
Boston Blackie
Gidget
Mystery Movie of the Week (Banacek, MacMillian & Wife…)
Night Gallery
you know… stuff like that?
I love 60’s & 70’s movies… it sounds so ancient to say so, but they make me feel good… I get a kick out of them. I also adore new movies.
Great post Lazer. Enjoyed it much.
I loved Night Gallery Gwen. Some of those shows aired when I was either living or stationed overseas so I missed them. I also love movies. Both old and new.
I was also born into a “radio” house although I do vaguely remember our first TV and remember watching The Mousketeers, The Lone Ranger, and etc. I also remember listening to some great radio shows. When the first Commodore computers for regular folk came out I bought one, having not the slightest idea as to its real purpose. Years later I bought my first Apple computer. It was better but I don’t for the life of me know why.
I am a technology kind of guy. I love new technology. Every time Nikon releases a new DSLR I have to have it, yet I have barely mastered the earlier release. You see it does new stuff. It is almost always stuff I will never use, much less understand but I had the latest and greatest photo-technology.
When the Kindle DX was released I had to have it. It was an improvement on the original little Kindle, which I hadn’t bought. I don’t regret the Kindle. I read more and it is easier on the eyes and books are MUCH, MUCH cheaper. Would regular, good ole books have been OK. Sure, but come on it’s about the technology.
Great post my friend. Great post indeed.
I am sort of a techie Mike though I am not as tech savvy as you. But my favorite past time is observing human behavior and reflecting its changing nature. Human behavior, oddly enough, has changed little by technology in terms of core activity. The technology has made things easier for people, but people have had the biggest effect on the change in the work ethic of other people.
Agreed my friend.
Great reflective piece Lazer.
I was born in 1947, so, like you, I have seen many changes in my life. I was born into a radio household, didn’t have a TV in the house until I was 12 years-old. I still love radio today, I am listening to NPR as I speak.
With technological changes happening faster, it gives the impression of going down hill, but I think it is just going up hill faster and the top is not in sight.
The metaphor is much the same Holte. Things are going faster and faster everyday. I wish I could be around for the elevator into space.
Or worse yet, will only those rich enough to own the most sophisticated technology control everything and everyone?
This is a question I commonly see, and I think it’s worth looking at a little more closely.
We can already see that technology is moving us away from this kind of scenario, not toward it. Besides getting better and better, it gets cheaper and cheaper. As you said yourself, a laptop which almost anyone can afford now has more capacity than the room-sized computers of 1970. A few decades ago, only entities like NBC or CNN could transmit information so it would be accessible to anybody; now, with YouTube and blogs and so forth, anybody can. Big media can no longer decide what is and isn’t news — technology enables ordinary people to do end runs around them. The internet with its universal access is undermining totalitarian regimes in places like Iran and China. Information and the power to access it and broadcast it are becoming more dispersed, breaking down the old centralized models. Those trends, too, will continue and accelerate.
Great post.
Technology has actually been accelerating for as long as we’ve had it. During the stone age there were periods as long as a million years when stone tools changed hardly at all. Starting with the agricultural revolution, significant changes started to happen in periods as short as a millennium, and with the rise of writing and cities things moved faster yet. The industrial revolution speeded things up even more — now people could see real change within a signle lifetime.
My gransmother was born before the first flight of the Wright brothers. She lived to see men walk on the Moon.
And of course the advent of computers has ushered in a whole new phase of acceleration.
You might like this video.
As for your final question, we can already see how thing will pan out. Artificial intelligence will not supplant human intelligence, but will merge with it and become part of it. We’re already making beginnings on brain-machine integration with things like the implants that control Parkinson’s disease. By the 2030s we’ll have computers powerful enough to enable us to fully understand the workings of the brain, and how to repair and enhance it, as we can now do with simpler features of the body.
We’re already using artificial intelligence to enhance our own, really. You use computer processing and the internet to enhance your own mental skills and memory all the time. It’s just that, for now, we still have to use it through clumsy interfaces of keyboards and monitors, not directly as we will later on.
By the 2040s we should be able to dispense with these fragile and perishable organic brains altogether.
I hope you are right Infidel. I see Iran and China having the ability to seize the internet so that means it can be controlled. Perhaps we can use technology to eventually end war.
There are times when I wish I could hang out on the sidelines and continue to watch all the developments. It is really fun and amazing to see what can be done.