Looking Forward

With just about four and a half weeks left in my coding bootcamp, it feels like I will be done by tomorrow. For so long it seemed like time was standing still while I was cramming my brain with all this new information. Now it seems that I am hurtling toward the unknown with no way to slow down. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, but that light is fairly uncertain, as it's under quarantined too.

So with unspeakable haziness ahead of me, I wanted to take a look at the industry I'm going into and see some of the positive things it has done or is trying to do. Especially in times like these, being able to make a difference in the world is as imperative as ever, and thinking positively can't hurt anything, right?

First, it's crazy to me that computers used to look like this:

and this:

and now this:

That last one is a quantum computer. Read more about it here: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/01/21/quantum-computing-opening-new-realms-possibilities. It's quite fascinating!

But for all of these computers, and for those that created them, what are they trying to do? Most of them start at just trying to solve a simple problem. One was to help count all of the results of a census, another was to decrypt secret messages in WW2, while others focus on running just one algorithm. As it masters that task, it then moves on to the next, and then the next, etc. etc. until we arrive where we are now, where the computer I am typing on can do even more things than I can currently comprehend. But it all comes back to problem solving. What is something in the world I can solve, whether big or small, with a computer? A whole world of possibilities.

And like the earliest of computers, I don't need to focus on solving the biggest problems. One small problem I solve this week could potentially be built off of in the future, which then gets built off of, until eventually it becomes something I could never have achieved on my own. The same logic goes for working on a project for a company; it could eventually become something revolutionary or groundbreaking. Although in these cases you may not necessarily know what your small contribution eventually becomes, it goes to show that I don't have to work for NASA or the CDC to make an impact on the world.

Having an impact on the world can mean vastly different things depending on who you talk to. So this list may not be agreeable to everyone, but below are some interesting things, to me, that I think have made an impact. And, of course, the all star to all of this is the computer itself that made way for, or greatly enhanced, all of these possibilities.

1. Exploration
   
   Finding new planets, distant stars, or black holes; it all starts on someone's computer! Even exploring our own planet is now deeply tied to advanced computer behavior and analytics.

2. A.I/Machine Learning
   
   Of course this eventually leads to robots taking over the planet, but it'll be very beneficial up until that point!

3. Video Games
   
   Even if you don't enjoy video games, the advancements in entertainment from this industry are astounding. There are games that pass the time, games that are competitive, some educational, and some even therapeutic.

4. Time Management
   
   OKAY, this one may be a little out there, but think about it--how dependent are we as a society on time? From when we get to go home for the day, to when we catch a flight, to when we wake up in the morning (and so many more things!) all depend on time. It makes it easy to discount software in these fields as "that's just how it is", but imagine where we would be without it!

5. Social Networks
   
   Another one that may raise some eyebrows, but with the ever expanding human population, keeping in contact with loved ones and friends has never been easier. Especially now with everyone being stuck indoors, it's helping to redefine what a community can be.

So if I end up doing something similar to the above, I'll be happy. Even if not, something I do may end up contributing to those fields someday and that would be just as well. So for anyone else who feels unsure or uneasy, you'll do great things in your future too. Don't be afraid to start small. And I'm saying this just as loudly to myself, but just get out there and start doing something--anything--as you never know what it might turn into.