Blog Questions Challenge: Technology Edition

I was tagged by 82Mhz to answer this set of questions, so here it goes:

When Did You First Get Interested In Technology?

I’ve been interested in technology as long as I remember. I think there were multiple sources of this.

First one would be my grandfather, who as a child growing up in hard times, had to have a wide set of skills. Today he could be called a tinkerer and a maker. He showed me how to fix things at home, how to sculpt in wood. He is 90 now and uses a smartphone to read the news, and a laptop to write books and emails.

Second one would be my father, similar in his skillset to my grandfather. He was also an avid collector of “Młody Technik” (Young Technician) magazines from the 80s. I would spend the summers reading them, they had a wide range of articles on anything regarding technology, from 80s computers to helicopters, ships and trains. A few of them had lessons in writing C! My dad also gave me both sci-fi and non-fiction science books, further fueling my love for technology.

He bought our first PC when I was around 9, and I was instantly hooked. At first that PC had only DOS, so I had to learn the command line to run the first computer game I ever played: Mahjongg.

It’s funny that despite all this, in my teens I never envisioned my career to be connected with technology, and I only switched careers to become a software developer in my thirties.

What’s Your Favourite Piece Of Technology All-Time?

That is a very hard question, because what exactly is a piece of technology. Does an anvil count? A knife? Having so many options makes it hard to chose between, for example, the Space Shuttle and a lathe.

But to keep it light and short, I will say that my answer is: trains. I like trains. Trains are cool. I take the train whenever it is possible. I haven’t had the chance to take a high speed train (160kph+) yet, but I hope it will happen sometime in the future.

What’s Your Favourite Piece Of Technology Right Now?

Another hard question, but ok, let’s try: Renewable energy sources.

Wind turbines and solar panels are a game changer, and give me hope for the future. Not only because the energy they produce is green, but also because it is localized and personal. I can, and will have solar panels on my future house, and with a battery they will will be independence from the grid. The other thing is, I love the sight of wind turbines over the fields. They look so magnificent, slowly turning in the wind, and not belching smoke. Down with the coal and oil, renewables are the future (and nuclear, but that is another story).

Name One New Cool Piece Of Technology We’ll Have In 25 Years!

I wish that in 25 years we will still be using our current technology. I wish things, machines, computers, electronics in general, were made to last. In many areas like smartphones, technical progress is now mostly fake, and aimed at forcing people to buy new stuff. This, connected with planned obsolescence, only increases waste and energy usage. How great it would be if you could use a washing machine that was made today for 25 years? Or a smartphone, or a tv. And then it could be fully recycled and used to make new copies of it. Circular economy. Degrowth. That would be the coolest thing.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading! I am not tagging anyone specifically, but please feel encouraged to also answer those questions, and send me your blog post :)