Can
you trust technology when it’s in the hands of whiz kids and weirdos, wonders an
old-timer.
AD: Hi, where were you?
BC: There was a technology exhibition in the
neighbourhood school…
AD: You – in a tech exhibition? Hopefully, the
school has taken a photo of the moment and will display it in its hall of fame…
BC: I went there because my grandnephew was
participating. But it was quite interesting - they even had a separate section
on robotics…
AD: I bet it must have taken you right back
to your childhood, to Johnny Socko and his Flying Robot…
BC: Don’t be ridiculous, I was working when
that series was aired. If you’re trying to make fun of the technology back
then, don’t forget that we had movies featuring man on the moon a long time
before he got there.
AD: Ok, enough of your glory days. Did you
learn a thing or two about technology, at least from the kids?
BC: Stop being so condescending towards
them… You’ll be surprised at the number of things that were invented by kids…
AD: Besides a million reasons for not doing
their homework, you mean...
BC: Guess you’re speaking from experience. Kids
have several key inventions to their credit, from crayon holders and magnetic
wallpaper, to toy trucks and trampolines…
AD: Those could have been sheer accidents…
BC: How does that change things? Even
adults have invented so many things quite unintentionally…
AD: You mean like trying to invent a TV,
but coming up with a radio instead because the video wasn’t working?
BC: I don’t know about the television, but
the microwave was invented by accident when the Raytheon Corporation was
experimenting with a magnetron…
AD: And what did they do to celebrate?
Roast popcorn in it?
BC: They actually did, but not to
celebrate. They wanted to see if it would work. And speaking of corn,
cornflakes was another ingenious invention that came about by accident...
AD: Great, so what you’re saying is that
one half of our inventions were by kids and the other half, by sheer accident.
If that’s the case, what exactly have our famous inventors been doing, besides encashing
their royalty cheques?
BC: They were perhaps busy creating and
evolving the technology that you speak so highly of.
AD: Look, technology is about working smart
– it’s not about bumbling your way through, as if you’re part of a Pink Panther
movie.
BC: But technology is also about thinking
smart – can you imagine making millions by selling virtual electronic pets that
had to be looked after and fed? These pet simulated living animals in every way,
from making sounds to having untrained potty habits...
AD: Sounds crazy!
BC: Yes, but they were a big hit in the 90s
and could be carried around or reared at home.
AD: C’mon, this is making a mockery of
technology.
BC: But technology does have a long way to
go - until then, it’s pretty much a joke.
AD: I don’t get it – when exactly will you
agree that technology is a lifesaver in today’s day and age?
BC: The day my car doesn’t break down when
I’m rushing somewhere, or when my computer doesn’t crash and delete all my data
just after I’ve painstakingly finished a project or…
AD: But that’s inevitable – haven’t you
heard of Murphy’s Law?
BC: Well, until Mr. Murphy can be
challenged, technology will remain a mute spectator while things continue to go
wrong. And if you’re into Bollywood, you would understand why it’s called
Barfi’s law.
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