Although I've been on something of a diet lately from scientific reading, a recent article about the successful mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope caught my eye and got me to thinking. And, being somewhat practical, I couldn't resist the temptation to fire up the word processor. After all, food for thought shouldn't be wasted.

One of the most exciting applications of technology in the 20th century was in landing a man on the moon, which happened well before the recent explosion of interest in PCs that has fueled our infatuation with all things technological. The race to beat the Russians to the moon in the 1960s was not only science fiction come to life, it was also a matter of extreme national pride. And it's hard to appreciate from our end-of-the-century perch the sheer audacity of JFK's vision to land a man on the moon and return him safely by the end of the 1960s. NASA was still struggling to keep its rockets from blowing up unexpectedly when Kennedy issued his directive.

I remember well the justification that was provided to people who questioned the usefulness of such a quest. These unimaginative dimwits were reminded of all the glories that awaited us, like benefits from some newly developed drug. So what if it hadn't been tested? This was the FUTURE we were talking about, and one needed to believe. For goodness' sake, we already had Tang, the astronauts' breakfast drink. And while a bit of imagination was helpful, it seemed that something less than a leap of blind faith was required to maintain space age optimism.

But let's get back to the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope. Apparently, one of its most serious deficiencies was in computer processing power (sound familiar, anyone?), and the "repair" included a replacement of the computer system. The Hubble's new computer is at least 20 times faster than the one it replaced--and it's based on an Intel 486 chip. For those of you who don't follow such mundane matters, the 486 chip was standard in consumer PCs in the early 1990s, and was practically obsolete by 1995.

What's happened? In the latter half of this century we've experienced a reversal of the trickle-down benefits of technological research. Consumers used to receive the crumbs of technology that spilled from the plate of government-funded projects; now we use cutting edge computers, while NASA operates space telescopes with equipment based on hardware that's four years behind what we can buy. And while the needs of space telescopes and consumers are quite different, I think there's some insight to be gained in all of this.

What the United States and NASA achieved in the 1960s was magnificent, almost magical, and it was accomplished at a time when the computer age was still in its infancy. Technology has come a long way since then, especially in terms of user interfaces, but the fact that a 486 computer chip can run the Hubble Space Telescope makes me wonder about how we use all the processing power that's available to us.

Hardware and software manufacturers say their industry is ruled by a consumer-driven cycle of innovation and new product. This cycle has become so rapid that everyone from technology titans to software salesmen--both of whom make their living by selling us their wares, it should be noted--cheerfully assure us that the equipment we buy today will be outdated in a matter of months. As one of Tom Robbins' more memorable characters used to say, "Ha-ha, ho-ho and hee-hee."

We've become so adept at rapidly applying technology these days that we barely have time to appreciate things before we're told that it's time to buy new ones. I appreciate technological stuff as much as the next person, but where are we in the spin cycle? At the end of it, anticipating the opportunity to soak things in? Or are we unbalanced, and rocking out of control across the linoleum? And, by the way, what's so funny?

Copyright © 2000 Stephen Wacker All Rights Reserved

Contact Stephen Wacker at swacker@accessone.com regarding use of this copyrighted material. Stephen Wacker writes about technology, culture and society. His career as an information technology professional has focused primarily on communications and the Internet. Mr. Wacker also writes about contemporary popular music and is an accomplished songwriter and guitarist.