During Lockdown, two renegade programmers reminisce over how things were better in the time of 8-bit computers. Amazingly, they actually discover a way to go back in time.
This was a real treat, thank you for recording your thoughts.
In high school I was a proud owner and fan of HP 15C RPN calculators and much other techno arcana, still am and still use my 15Cs for quick calculations.
I had a thought experiment that I proposed to people to gauge their understanding on the value of technology. Back in the 80's and 90's I would ask if they could go back in time to the 40's or 50's and take with them one intermodal container full of trade goods. Knowing they could never return. What would they select and what would they do with it?
I received no memorable suggestions but had a good idea of what I would do. I would get a copy of all future patents on microfilm and then fill the rest of the container with HP 15C calculators. Their value would be huge as they require no modern peripherals, have a little programmability to do modern solving. Are small enough to conceal and use as trade goods, can be powered by period batteries for as long as the keyboards last. I believe the moon shot could have been brought forward by a decade. Setting up a secret society to spread the technology into as many universities as possible would hopefully have prevented too much concentration of power. Much of human misery as you wrote would likely also have been powered by the new technology.
Indeed, I've often wondered about taking a laptop back to the 17 or 1800s. But then how would I power the thing -- a battery made of lemons and potatoes perhaps? Even getting hold things that could be used as wire would be hard. I think in reality, if you took things back like that -- even calculators -- you'd be picked up and imprisoned once word got out. I think new technology always ends up in the hands of powerful.
I get how important calculators were. Am familiar with RPN as I wrote a calculator app which handled it. I still prefer post-fix algebraic, however.
Too many references to my own life in it to not like this story :-) you had me at Galaxian, probably the only arcade game I ever became addicted to as a teeneager, and I must admit I want a stuffed stoat called Mongo now, he seems like a true friend (the database version hasn't been too bad to me in real life either). Really good short story, I enjoyed it a lot.
This was a real treat, thank you for recording your thoughts.
In high school I was a proud owner and fan of HP 15C RPN calculators and much other techno arcana, still am and still use my 15Cs for quick calculations.
I had a thought experiment that I proposed to people to gauge their understanding on the value of technology. Back in the 80's and 90's I would ask if they could go back in time to the 40's or 50's and take with them one intermodal container full of trade goods. Knowing they could never return. What would they select and what would they do with it?
I received no memorable suggestions but had a good idea of what I would do. I would get a copy of all future patents on microfilm and then fill the rest of the container with HP 15C calculators. Their value would be huge as they require no modern peripherals, have a little programmability to do modern solving. Are small enough to conceal and use as trade goods, can be powered by period batteries for as long as the keyboards last. I believe the moon shot could have been brought forward by a decade. Setting up a secret society to spread the technology into as many universities as possible would hopefully have prevented too much concentration of power. Much of human misery as you wrote would likely also have been powered by the new technology.
Indeed, I've often wondered about taking a laptop back to the 17 or 1800s. But then how would I power the thing -- a battery made of lemons and potatoes perhaps? Even getting hold things that could be used as wire would be hard. I think in reality, if you took things back like that -- even calculators -- you'd be picked up and imprisoned once word got out. I think new technology always ends up in the hands of powerful.
I get how important calculators were. Am familiar with RPN as I wrote a calculator app which handled it. I still prefer post-fix algebraic, however.
Thanks for commenting. Andy
Too many references to my own life in it to not like this story :-) you had me at Galaxian, probably the only arcade game I ever became addicted to as a teeneager, and I must admit I want a stuffed stoat called Mongo now, he seems like a true friend (the database version hasn't been too bad to me in real life either). Really good short story, I enjoyed it a lot.
So glad you enjoyed it.
Enjoyed this very much, amazing! - now all little doors I come across in my life will take on a different relevance!
Enjoyed this very much, amazing! - now all little doors I come across in my life will take on a different relevance!