Skip to main content

Repair Today


Repair then and now.
I recall listening to a lecture by the great physicist Richard Feynman* where he talked about his teen-years, neighborhood repair business (1930’s) for radios and the like.  He said mostly he just looked for a loose wire or burned tube.  Presto, he fixed it.  He could repair because repair was easy and because he was real smart. 
I recall the (very) old Maytag washer/dryer commercials on TV featuring a repairman lamenting he never had any work, because Maytag’s never broke down.  Great add. Great reassurance in the beginning age of home machinery.  
I recall myself in the 60’s of stripping my TV of its tubes and taking them to the local drugstore where they had a tester.  Burned ones were replaced and the screen glowed again. Beyond that required an an actual TV repairman - expensive!
Today, note whenever you buy anything electronic or mechanical, the seller offers to sell you insurance policies against damage and breakage. Sooooo…
What do you want to know about every device or machine you buy? 
The assurance it is “easy to repair.”
Wind turbines – a modern challenge. I recall seeing dozens of wind turbines situated atop small mountains in rural Greece, most of which were turning, generating electricity. Up high, with lots of wind. My thought was, who's going to repair them when they fail?  And fail they will. With blades 30 feet long, these are delicate machines that need keen attention. Even getting to them is a serious business. The repairman must be electronically and mechanically trained, plus part mountain goat.
To me, it seems repair, replacement, and maintenance are usually ignored in these grand projects, created under the soft green glow of enlightened progress.

The newer the technology, the more difficult it is to repair and to repair will be a must.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Richard P. Feynman, an American physicist and veteran of the Manhattan (A-bomb) project in 1945, won the Nobel prize in 1965 for his work in quantum electrodynamics. Famous for quotes, he penned, “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please Comment.

Popular posts from this blog

UNCERTAINTY IS CERTAIN

  Uncertainty is Certain G. Donald Allen 12/12/2024 1.       Introduction . This short essay is about uncertainty in people from both secular and nonsecular viewpoints. One point that will emerge is that randomly based uncertainty can be a driver for religious structure. Many groups facing uncertainty about their future are deeply religious or rely on faith as a source of comfort, resilience, and guidance. The intersection of uncertainty and religiosity often stems from the human need to find meaning, hope, and stability in the face of unpredictable or challenging circumstances. We first take up the connections of uncertainty to religion for the first real profession, farming, noting that hunting has many similar uncertainties. Below are groups that commonly lean on religious beliefs amidst uncertainty.   This short essay is a follow-up to a previous piece on certainty (https://used-ideas.blogspot.com/2024/12/certainty-is-also-emotion.html). U...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Devil and Artificial Intelligence

 In Stephen Vincent Benét’s allegory, The Devil and Daniel Webster , the Devil comes to collect a soul, armed with the fine print of a contract and the inevitability of human weakness. Daniel Webster, the great orator, wins the day not by denying humanity’s flaws, but by appealing to its higher nature. The story warns us about the bargains we make and the price we might pay when power comes too easily. Consider the allegory of Goethe’s “ Faust” as a substitute if Benét’s story is unfamiliar. Today, Artificial Intelligence stands in a position uncannily similar to the Devil in the old tale. It offers dazzling speed, vast knowledge, and seemingly miraculous powers, always at just the right moment when we are tired, overwhelmed, or greedy for an advantage. It whispers I can solve your problems, do your work, make your life easier; just trust me. Playing the role of Daniel Webster is only these few pages, but it is you or me that have signed the contract. The “gifts” AI offers ar...
Post a Comment
Read more

Principles of Insufficiency and Sufficiency

   The principles we use but don't know it.  1.      Introduction . Every field, scientific or otherwise, rests on foundational principles—think buoyancy, behavior, or democracy. Here, we explore a unique subset: principles modified by "insufficiency" and "sufficiency." While you may never have heard of them, you use them often. These terms frame principles that blend theory, practicality, and aspiration, by offering distinct perspectives. Insufficiency often implies inaction unless justified, while sufficiency suggests something exists or must be done. We’ll examine key examples and introduce a new principle with potential significance. As a principle of principles of these is that something or some action is not done enough while others may be done too much. The first six (§2-6) of our principles are in the literature, and you can easily search them online. The others are relatively new, but fit the concepts in the real world. At times, these pri...
Post a Comment
Read more