"Scientists at the firm have shown off a prototype device layered with thousands of 'hair-width' cooling arteries. They believe it could be a solution to the increasing amount of heat pumped out by chips as they become smaller and more densely packed with components."
Cool, in every sense of the word. But hot, too.
The heroes at the IBM labs continue to bring electronics engineering into the 21st century. Ever restless, ever inventive, these men and women deserve high kudos for their endless technical creativity. But even more, they've earned the highest moral praise for being among the best representatives of human reason in one of its finest forms.
Too often today, in a world fortunate enough to see these sorts of advances frequently, some greet news of this type with a shrug. But remember what that good fortune fundamentally depends on: the freedom to exercise rational creativity.
That casual attitude may come not from distaste for technology — those people are probably irredeemable — but simply from taking it for granted. Taking that creativity and freedom for granted, though, is roughly the same as taking your loved one for granted. They soon are gone.
Consider some oft-cited statistics:
- Just 50 years ago TVs were uncommon in the home
- A mere 30 years ago PCs were barely more than a hobbyist's kit
- Only 20 years ago mobile phones were absent from all but a few luxury autos
- Little more than 10 years ago the Internet was sparsely populated
So, while the technology is definitely cool, in an era when many are trying to drive us back to the 12th century, let's rouse ourselves to generate some passionate heat for those heroes who create it and the philosophy that sustains them. Otherwise, they too might soon be gone.
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