Time vs Technology
“You know precomputers, there was a lot of free time” - Sundar Pichai
I was recently watching the podcast of Lex Fridman with Sundar Pichar (CEO of Google and Alphabet Inc) - Ep 471 released a couple of hours before.
Sundar shared a story, that really struck me on how life was before the era of computers -
“There was a 5-year waiting list to get a rotary phone. When we got one, it changed our lives. People came to our house to call loved ones.
People would travel to hospitals to collect their blood test records which would be a 2 hour way to and a 2 hour way drive fro. So if the blood test reports are not ready then the hospital staff would say - ‘Sorry and you can come back again tomorrow’
But then came the telephone - which made a 4 hour task to a 5 min task. Now to check if the report is ready- just needed a phone call instead of 4 hour drive. ”
This excerpt from the conversation made me think 2 major domains where life has changed a lot -
- Time - Before computers, we had more free time. There was room to breathe, reflect, and just… exist.
- Learning - Books, magazines, and libraries were the gateways to knowledge. Learning wasn’t instant, but it felt deeper and more earned.
It is interesting that these changes when measured on a timeline of humanity have happened in such a short period of time.
What do you think - Is the information age and the age of computing proving to be a bane or boon for the humanity?