Think About It. Curiosity. As we approach the 100th of these occasional essays on almost anything, it occurs to me that they are largely driven by a desire for more information on various subjects. While the approach is to appear “sage”, the necessity is more time spent researching than simply extracting memories of acquired knowledge. My radio and television years often involved interviews with people of varied backgrounds. Whatever success I achieved came from a sincere desire to learn what others, perhaps more travelled or formally educated than I, could teach me in a casual conversation. Social situations seemed to include the same interactions. Seems most would rather talk about themselves and what they know than listen to us retell our tales of woe, brilliance or expertise. So when we ask questions, we are apt to be richly rewarded by stories of people, places and ideas.
Without curiosity, would there be invention? Consider Konrad Zuse. Who? Those in the know regard him as the inventor of the modern computer, operational in 1941. Of course you know Thomas Crapper, inventor of the ballcock toilet valve. Give a bow to Rune Elmqvist who came up with the implantable pacemaker. Naturally you will want to include Edison, Bell, da Vinci and the duo of Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. We couldn’t have so easily found our info today without their Wikipedia. And yes, I do contribute occasionally.
Back to the early days, A is for alcohol, perhaps the first invention of the Neolithic period, thousands of years B.C.E. Some say hunters became gatherers in order to stay in one place to grow grain for their intoxicating potable possibilities. I rather think they got tired of moving their families from place to place chasing meat on the hoof, then accidentally found that grains had special properties for relaxation after a long day at the office .
In about 3500 B.C., after sharp things had been invented, Sure-slice Bob was whittling one day, put down his hobby on an incline and watched it roll downhill. Angry, he let it keep rolling. Nearby, astute observer Gregarious Grunter, picked it up and giggled a loud wheeee! Where would we be with no wheeeeels?
For Z we’ll skip the zipper, much too vague in its varied development. There’s no doubt about Frank Zamboni whose big machine lets us lesser skaters continue on the ice after the showoffs make scary scars.
Recently I wondered if curiosity actually ever killed a cat. My son Wade regularly polls his friends on important topics and provides the answers for his listeners on 105.9 The Bash. He even asked on the radio, getting no response that I heard. In all my research, I found only one (perhaps specious) feline death while curious.
Thanks for the insatiable search for the secrets of science, physics, space and life itself. How dreary, dark, stark, cold and/or hot life would be without the results of Curiosity. Think About It