Ever Wonder Who Does All The Stuff?

[M.D. Holloway]

I remember spending hours in the library in college and would sometimes wonder at all the work done and wondered about all the folks that wrote the volumes and save for a scant few all are pretty ambiguous. Who are these folks? What are they doing now? Are they dead?

It doesn't stop there. When I drive and spot a really old house I wonder about the architect who designed it - you know, the old victorians. Homes of style. Who designed them?

And then I wonder about that machines and industrial design and ....shyt everything!

So much energy and time and creativity and engineering has gone into it all...fascinating.

And of course I start considering alien technology (if there are such things) and if so do they go about it like humans?

[dan88911]

Yeah, I do M.D. were the heck to they find the time. Dam I retired a couple years ago now wonder were did I find the time to go to work. So many ideas and stuff to do. The wife keeps telling me to relax. Oh well life is grand.

[RWebb]

most articles in scientific journals are written by people who do not yet have tenure - it falls off rapidly after that

[Head416]

These days it seems anybody can get a book published!

[LeeH]

I wonder how road construction gets completed. Seems like whenever I drive by a work site, there are a dozen guys standing around leaning on shovels while one guy is in a hole fiddling with something.

[herr_oberst]

If everyone does a little bit, results pile up.

[RWebb]

Yes, but he was looking through the stacks, not piles

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

I remember spending hours in the library in college and would sometimes wonder at all the work done and wondered about all the folks that wrote the volumes and save for a scant few all are pretty ambiguous. Who are these folks? What are they doing now? Are they dead?

It doesn't stop there. When I drive and spot a really old house I wonder about the architect who designed it - you know, the old victorians. Homes of style. Who designed them?

And then I wonder about that machines and industrial design and ....shyt everything!

So much energy and time and creativity and engineering has gone into it all...fascinating.

And of course I start considering alien technology (if there are such things) and if so do they go about it like humans?

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

If everyone does a little bit, results pile up.

To the OP, yes, I also often wonder about such things also. The fact that probably 99.99% of the individuals responsible for such things will remain anonymous (I think that's what you meant to say in your OP) is a function of everyone's role in a civilization. When you wonder "Who wrote all that" or "Who designed that house", you are asking about yourself, what you have committed your working life to, and asking about every other person who does a job that may eventually leave a mark on civilization. It's like one of those large pictures of, say, a beautiful woman that you see from a distance, but when you get close you see it's really made up of thousands of tiny photos of different people. You're asking about who those individuals are. Save for a rare few, you'll never know. But you are one.

Beyond our very small circle of friends and family, very few of us will be known to civilization, but the work we did, the things we built, the ideas we brought forward, all contribute to civilization to some degree, and that's why I included oberst's post.

[M.D. Holloway]

It amazes me, I look at my 150 year old desk and think "some dude labored over this...who?" he had a vision, he had skills, he took time to select the Mohagony. I wonder who is decendents are?

Human skill and creativity blow me away. My greatgrandfather was a blacksmith. I have only one of his pieces. A fire place set. he made other things I would imagine but most all are lost in time now...but maybe not. Maybe there is an iron piece someplace that he made that someone has and is wondering about it as I wonder about the one I have.

Ya gotta love the energy and time and passion people put into 'stuff'.





...and I wonder who the guy responcible for the AMC Pacer was...now thats a sadder story...

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

And of course I start considering alien technology (if there are such things) and if so do they go about it like humans?

Surely there has to be a correlation.

The stereotypical view is that aliens are far more advanced than us. If so, they had to kinda match our level of logic at some point. Whether at one or seven billion years ago, who's counting?

Organization and historical documentation would have to be present in some form.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I have a good bit of my 996 interior torn out right now to replace some interior trim, including the PCM nav and audio head unit. I picked up my 9 year old from basketball practice today, and after looking through the maze of harnesses and connectors inside the dash commented, "it's amazing what people can make". Yes it is son, yes it is.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Ya gotta love the energy and time and passion people put into 'stuff'.

That is a beautiful expression.

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

...and I wonder who the guy responcible for the AMC Pacer was...now thats a sadder story...

Then you went and spoiled it.

[VaSteve]

I find it interesting when people who did something end up on the Internet talking about it. I have seen it here in the last years working on my car...sometimes the factory guys have become shop owners or hand out advice. Nothing comes from a mythical place, people had to do it.

Then again, I live outside of DC. When I go to other parts of the country, I'm amazed that people were able to do things, build buildings, run whole cities without Federal help. Seems these days people go looking to the Federal govt to wipe their ass.