I’ve grown up in the generation of computer chips and fiber optics. As an infant I sat on my father’s lap staring at the comforting glow of a computer monitor and I will probably never live in a world without the internet. Now I fall asleep to the sound of computer fans instead of the cricket chirps outside my window. Because of the immense influence computers have had on my life, I believe in the power of these number-crunching machines.
As technology moves, so does information. I believe there is importance to be found in circuit boards and network cables. Encyclopedias and research, once only available in libraries, are now only a click away for students and developers. Written public discourse, which was reserved for those recognized enough to publish, is now at the fingertips of anyone who walks into an internet café. The diffusion of knowledge has so much potential to change our society for the better that I can’t help but believe in hope for the future.
In middle school I began following technological invention in much the same way that one keeps up with a favorite sports league. In books about hardware inventors I got real world pictures of people who truly strove for integrity in their work. Each technical frontier was surpassed almost as soon as it was established and human ingenuity drove ceaselessly forward. To me, each new block of silicone churned out is more then just a computer chip; it’s a testament to the progress of science.
Even more remarkable to me than the fast pace of the computer world is the fact that ordinary people create the machines that transform my world. It seems that each new invention celebrates the application of new knowledge and every improvement reminds me of the importance of the individual’s strive for perfection. Perhaps in this way technology continues to show me the determination of the human spirit and extensive reach of small contributions.