RachelIgnotofsky

Looking at history, big leaps forward in technology only happen when there are well funded, big-scale science projects, that prioritize discovery over profit.

After researching the book I think we are in a period of stagnation. Historically, when tech monopolies are in control leaps in invention doesn't really happen. I don't see something on the level of SAGE or ARPANET, or even Xerox PARC in the 70s, happening right now. Transistors are about as small as we can get them, thats for sure! (the width of DNA!) To break through that or move away from classical computing to functional quantum computing, is going to need the same effort as the Manhattan project.

YES!

For me, it was learning about Douglas Engelbart and the Mother of All Demos that showed off his team's work creating the oN-Line System (NLS). It was wild seeing how futuristic their ideas were over 50 years ago and how this was a blueprint for our modern user interface that we use today.

But more importantly it was Engelbart's radical ideas that inspired me: His thoughts on collaboration and working to create tools that "augment human intellect" with goals to make humanity as a whole smarter.

A total boon! It opens so much opportunity for artist like me to show my work.

The pressure of deadlines and discipline. I have a huge year long calendar taped up on my wall with self imposed due dates for each week and each month. I only use it to mark my progress on my books.