Blog 7: Off the Beaten Path

For this weeks blog, I wanted to share something amazing that I found this weekend and I thought it perfectly applied to our class and current readings. I listened to Steven Johnson's Ted presentation called The Playful Wonderland Behind Great Inventions. In this TedTalk, he brings up the idea that inventions are just created. Many of them are based off of useless creations that are combined and altered to create something amazing. He says, "frivolous inventions ended up sparking momentous transformations in science and politics and society." He uses the example of programmable computers and how they most recently were invented by ARPA and the reasons that we now know well. He theorizes that the internet goes much, much further back into our ancestors history. The idea of the flute has been modified to an organ, then to a loom for weaving, and even to a type writer. These powerful break-throughs led from one to the next which eventually led to the introduction of programmable machines with programmable cylinders to automatically play music through organs and pianos.

Steven Johnson brings up an important topic. While the Blum and Ryan, the authors we are currently reading in class go back into the history of the internet of were it first began, Johnson digs further into the earliest inventions that were not formed by necessities. I really enjoyed listening to his TedTalk, because it brought up more interesting and historical context that goes beyond the military.

In his last and most resonating words he states that "you'll find the future wherever people are having the most fun."

1. Do you believe this is true? and 2. If it is, what do you think our future is, or what will be the next, great future invention?

I  have linked the TedTalk here in case you want to check it out.