After countless years in grade school working hard on science fair projects and not receiving a ribbon, I finally gave up and wrote a “non-experimental” paper on computers in the eighth grade. Despite the paper being weak, I finally won a ribbon (third or fourth place) in the school science fair. Remember, this was the early 1980s and everyone was still fascinated with the then new concept of computers entering “everday” life. Why am I going down memory lane? Well I came across an article on the 60th anniversary of Eniac, the “first” computer built which of course was mentioned in that paper of mine some 25 years ago.

Though, only to find out after reading the article, ENIAC wasn’t the first computer and really didn’t do a whole lot. They just had a good public relations department that explained well to the American audience what role the computer would play in the future. If you read the article you’ll find (not included in my excerpt) that the PR people went so far to include the placing of flashing light bulbs on the computer console so that people had something to look at besides vacume tubes and switches. Still, you have to admit it was an amazing engineering achievement.

Compared with other computers that performed such practical functions, ENIAC was an odd bird in technical terms. It relied on a 10-digit decimal system, rather than the binary systems of ones and zeros used by virtually all subsequent computers, even those developed by Eckert and Mauchly. Programs could not be stored on ENIAC. It didn’t really employ conditional branching–the if/then statements that form the cornerstone of modern programming.

And only one ENIAC, in fact, was ever built.

“It was a monstrosity. It was rapidly overtaken by general purpose machines,” thundered Jay Forrester, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and one of the leading computer architects of the last century. “There wasn’t anything in it that survived into modern machines, except maybe electricity.”

But supporters respond with an indisputable fact: It worked. Until it was immobilized by lightning in 1955, ENIAC performed computational problems relating to the development of the hydrogen bomb and other military projects. Penn professor Irving Brainerd once even speculated that during the 80,223 hours ENIAC operated, it crunched more calculations than had been performed by all humanity since time began.

When I first considered placing advertisements on my site I found a blog, called Subnixus, that catered toward how best to market your site on the Internet. I have enjoyed visiting Subnixus the past several months and I’ve honestly learned a lot. I recommend the place for someone trying to figure how they can make money by placing advertisement on their own site. However on a recent visit I was disappointed to read an article titled, Why College is a Scam. Maybe I’m showing my age, but I continue to be disturbed with so many young adults not understanding the true values of education. I am even more disturbed with the lack of students seeking an education in science, math, computer science, and engineering . From time to time, I have seen the following facts from a study on the state of engineering degrees in the United States posted in newspapers and magazine articles:

Last year alone, more than 600,000 engineers graduated from higher education institutions in China. In India, this number was 350,000. In the United States there were roughly 70,000 and the number of engineering degrees awarded in the United States is down 20 percent from the peak year of 1985.

American society as a whole seems to have less value for education, especially in the sciences and math, than when I was growing up. Maybe I’m more sensitive to these numbers since I am a scientist at heart…but isn’t anyone else disturbed by this trend? While I feel there should have been something done to help reverse this downward spiral sooner, I’m glad at least that it is finally getting some some well deserved attention by the Bush administration.

Getting back to the article posted on Subnixus, the following is my open letter to the author:

My primary field is in the sciences for which there is no other way to get that education without going through at least a four-year degree program. Recently, I went the opposite direction going for a Master’s Degree in Administration with the focus on Information Systems. Yes, there were times I was sitting in the classroom and thinking, is this really worth it? How could I not consider whether the degree was worth the price I was paying. A price that was not only paid in money for tuition but also my time. During those years I missed so many Sunday football games and evenings with the family. Quite frankly, when I was pursuing a higher education I felt I was living the life of a monk with little connection to the “real world”.

Did I feel at times the university was just taking my money with the only reward at the end being a piece of paper? Yes, I did. Did my employer give me a penny more after receiving my piece of paper? No they didn’t. Was it tempting to call it quits? Yes it was. Do I regret that I spent my time in college and completing my degree? No, I don’t have a single regret and here is why. If there is only one thing that is important in life to assure success it is to “follow though” and finish what you started. Completing what you set out to do is what separates the winners and the losers.

And no, I’m not implying the author of the article is a loser. He seems to me to be very intelligent and as I’ve said, I learned a lot from his writings. I am however saying that I have deep respect for the roommate that he writes about. A roommate that despite having someone tell her that “she has been brainwashed” is still sticking it out and working on her degree. I too had roommates that dropped out and were living the good life while I pursued my studies. I know what she is going through. It’s not easy to eat Ramen Noodles when your roommate is eating steak.

One of my former roommates thought I was crazy when the first job I accepted after getting my degree. The job paid less than what he when he worked at the local video store. Fast forward twenty years to the present and I promise you he does not carry the same attitude. It is a struggle to realize you didn’t finish what you started when you had the time, energy, and youth to do it. Regardless of the money he may or may not be making now, he regrets not following through and finishing his degree. As a good friend of his, I too regret he didn’t finish what he started.

Respecfully,

Bryan from Like that Idea

Every Sunday my wife hears me complain about our local Sunday paper. Unlike some people, my complaints are not so much centered on the quality of the content, but the quantity of the pages. You have to consider that I’m originally from a very large city with a Monday paper that on a slow news day could swallow the newspaper now left on the front steps of my door. However this Sunday my local paper, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, had so many good stories to read that I forgot my usual grumpiness.

One of the articles is about Otakuye Conroy, 29, who was the little girl that played Kicking Bird’s daughter in the movie Dances with Wolves. She started her life on the Pine Ridge reservation here in South Dakota in a one room house with no electricity before her family moved on to Rapid City. From those humble beginnings she has accomplished a lot:

By August the girl from Pine Ridge reservation expects to have a Ph.D. in environmental engineering at the University. That’s only one chapter in the story of an actor and marathon runner with two master’s and bachelor’s degree from Nortre Dame.

While the Pine Ridge reservation is only a few hours from my house, I can’t claim I know what life is really like there. I do hope though that Otakuye Conroy’s story inspires others to succeed even when you start off with so little in this world. With her interest in science and her unique background as a member of the member Oglala Sioux tribe I can’t but help think she has so much more to accomplish.

The Argus Leader usually only provides links to its pages for about a week and after that places them in their fee based archvie. If you are interesed in the article online, I would advise you to read it soon. The article is titled Budding scientist started in S.D. and written by Randy Hascall.