Enjoyable With Technology

That is a recording of the keynote talk I gave on the Trenton Computer Competition on March 29, 2025. The theme of the competition used to be Enjoyable With Technology and I talked about how Enjoy and Maker Faire enjoy been dedicated to of us which enjoy enjoyable with technology.

One amongst doubtlessly the predominant recommendations I talked about is that boredom is on the upward push in The united states and in rather about a areas. Despite our having smartphones and each diagram of technology, a form of oldsters represent that they are bored at house, at work, and in faculty. One cause is that their ride of technology is basically passive. They diagram what shoppers diagram. They don’t function or invent.

I catch makers so nice looking because they are now not bored and neither are they uninteresting. They’re lively and engaged. They know that the staunch antidote to boredom is to lawful diagram one thing. As I narrate, diagram one thing, preferably with others who are present doing one thing. It’s what makes existence enjoyable.

We must secure extra other folks doing issues they would enjoy doing, love makers.

Mutter: I a piece edited this compare with capture away some references to the slides I frail in the controversy.

Transcript

Larry: So this one year we decided on a theme of Enjoyable With Technology. And what straight came to thoughts after I enjoy that is the Maker Faires – and there’s a sizable Maker Faire that frail to be in Queens, Original York, and as we’ve heard this day there’s a maker lovely increasing subsequent week in Philadelphia, and I was now not aware that there’s also one, I command in Sussex County, I’d comprise to preserve that one as correctly. So these are, incredible, again, love experiences for tech enthusiasts. I command all americans right here would really cherish and enjoy these. And so I went about looking out for to search out who used to be the inspiration on the support of the Maker Faires, and I knew about Enjoy magazine, who doubtlessly heaps of about that as correctly.

And I came across out that the inspiration on the support of those is Dale Dougherty. I really didn’t know whether or now not Dale Dougherty will seemingly be willing to trek across the nation and be with us right here at TCF. But right here he is and I will, without additional ado, introduce our keynote speaker Dale Dougherty.

Dale: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be right here. But let me expect you, are you having enjoyable with technology? Near on. All qualified. So I’m hoping this is enjoyable. There are a form of change uses of technology and I wished to search out the mischievous uses, the enjoyable uses and to focus on that this day.

Thank you Larry for having me right here. Larry took me on a tour of the STEM constructing and there’s a machine store in there. And I chanced on this machine, Light Machines lathe. But it completely jogged my memory in 1984, what I’d doubtlessly capture into consideration my first tech job in anyway, used to be to jot down a guide for the Light Machines Firm that used to be lawful beginning in Nashua, Original Hampshire.

They’d a CNC machine controlled by an Apple II. K. I’m telling you that I wrote the guide. I knew nothing about computer systems or CNC machines, however I learned what I would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally. And, now not all americans likes documentation. It’s love cleansing up after animals in a parade. But I cherished it. And I had lawful met Tim O’Reilly and, by the eighties and nineties, we built a publishing company, publishing computer manuals. We wrote a number of the early ones ourselves and we got experts in to diagram it, and we edited them. But really all of it started right here in penning this guide, and I had no thought that really I’d later connect those issues love CNC machines and digital interfaces to physical machines.

Adam Savage, I’ll reintroduce later, says two issues invent us human: we exhaust instruments and teach tales. And I comprise to command I’m doubtlessly better at telling tales than I’m at using instruments, however I love the tales of how other folks exhaust instruments to invent issues. And assuredly the of us that invent issues aren’t very factual at telling their possess yarn. I really enjoy to drag it out of them. I really enjoy to work it and expect tons of questions.

So I came across a feature in existence, as soon as you occur to will. But I command what you would additionally expect, “What is the topic you’re looking out for to solve in doing invent or anything else?” And I command one of many solutions in my method, I’m doubtlessly without complications bored and I don’t comprise to be bored and I’d comprise to search out of us which are not bored. That used to be the maker community, the roughly of us that I saw as I started the magazine.

On the present time boredom is a better self-discipline than ever. More other folks are bored, which is sad. They enjoy got the staunch computing in the palm of their hand that they would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally ever enjoy. They enjoy got secure admission to to every diagram of entertainment, and even teenagers are bored, in all chance even worse than adults. And despite having their phones – I’d narrate they doubtlessly are preoccupied as a change of bored – however they don’t understand presumably how bored they’re. But one of many issues I really got in is lawful, why? 

That is a chart by Ted Gioia. We were speaking about this at dinner last night. About a of the computing that you grew up with, you had to be the author of that. You had to be the motive force of it. And even as we talked about love, Usenet news teams or issues love that, you had to switch catch them and you had to observe them. Then at last we got a search engine and we began to observe issues. But what Ted’s writing about is, an increasing form of oldsters are on-line and it’s an fully passive ride. An algorithm is determining what you watch subsequent, qualified? No longer your possess hobby.

And so that’s a actual self-discipline in our culture this day. But I command anybody on this target market, the cause you’re right here, the antidote to boredom, which is diagram one thing. Pleasant diagram one thing. But even better, diagram one thing with others. And specifically this day, diagram one thing with others present.

That is what I came across, love having a glance by Enjoy and seeing other folks, enthusiasts, as soon as you catch one thing you wanna diagram, you inaugurate to meet rather about a of us that diagram it. And that used to be the early computer clubs and user teams. Folks had the same interests they assuredly connect. And that will well perhaps be doubtlessly the predominant to existence in a technique, is lawful finding rather about a of us that diagram stuff that you love to diagram.

We lawful well-liked our 20th anniversary agonize of Enjoy. So I started in 2005. I’m really proud. It’s a print magazine for God’s sake, and we’ve managed to help it going. It’s a quarterly, it’s about 125 pages, and I’ll plow by some of it, however I’m also gratified with Maker Faire. I started the one year afterwards and I had lawful met so many nice looking other folks, these makers, and I believed, “Also can we ship them together and would they enjoy speaking about their mission? Would other folks comprise to listen to about their mission and expect questions?”

And I did it in a small version, in 2005 we started, and then it grew in a crazy method and we’ve spread it around the enviornment. I’ll level out again, to your property right here, we now enjoy Maker Faire Philadelphia increasing subsequent Sunday. And in October Rick is support there with the Sussex County Maker Faire. I command your total thought used to be to ship together of us that were doing issues and allow them to diagram it. No longer focus on it, however diagram it. Point out-and-teach implies speaking about it however I’m really gratified with this. It’s spread around the enviornment in very nice looking ways. And it taught me that making has always been around. I gave it a word, however it is really gratifying for folks to observe that. That is in Singapore. And this one I love this one. This used to be in Tokyo. 

Maker Faire is so laborious to utter to other folks ’cause it is heaps of issues. It’s all these roughly pleasing issues. And must you watch it, you’re love, who would know that one and all these issues are in our community? They’re all around you. I don’t program these issues. I determine the assign to assign it, how great energy they want, and verify that that that someone with a theremin is now not subsequent to the crafters. But it completely all comes from someplace and other folks diagram it because they love to diagram it. They’re amateurs. Largely that’s the definition of newbie is to love to diagram one thing. And I always felt, whether or now not it used to be originate source or the early web, issues I’ve been fervent with, always the predominant to approach were the of us that loved doing issues, that enjoyed it. They didn’t know if there used to be cash in it or in the occasion that they were gonna build a metamorphosis, however they had an thought they assuredly wanted to build it. And I command that’s the spirit of the Maker motion. 

Larry talked about Queens. Up till 2018, we had nearly 10 years I command, of Maker Faire at on the Original York Corridor of Science. Indubitably laborious to search out a assign in Original York to diagram it, however we had really huge time there. And the Unisphere is there, and we did Food regimen Coke and Mentos in entrance of the Unisphere, which is mainly lovely incredible. 

Isaac Asimov visited the 1964 World’s Faire they assuredly asked him to predict the enviornment he would watch in 50 years. Which is, we’re past that level, however restful his observations were rather nice looking. He talked about electroluminescent panels will seemingly be in customary exhaust, qualified? Gadgetry will proceed to attend mankind of gradual jobs. Gleaming ample. Robots will seemingly be neither customary nor factual.

And he talked about easiest unmanned ships can enjoy landed on Mars, even supposing manned expedition will seemingly be in the works. Very factual. And the enviornment can enjoy few routine jobs that will well perhaps now not be carried out better by some machine than by any human being.

And we will seemingly be coming on that era, however he got one ingredient spoiled, which I command is sad. The total excessive college college students will seemingly be taught the basics of computer technology and will seemingly be trained to perfection in the usage of computer languages. You weren’t even shut, which is too wicked.

But right here’s his level. That he talked about mankind (predicting) will undergo badly from the disease of boredom, the disease spreading extra widely every person year, rising broad. Yeah, it is factual, sadly, qualified? And he gave moderately little bit of an out. The lucky few, he called them, who will seemingly be excited about creative work of any form, will seemingly be the factual elite of mankind for they alone will diagram extra than support the machine.

And I’d comprise to argue that it doesn’t must be the lucky few. It doesn’t must be a small community of elites that control technology or exhaust technology or enjoy technology. And that’s a piece the assign I’m coming at this. But I command his insight in many ways, says most of us will watch ourselves as customers, and few of us will watch ourselves as makers.

So I’m hoping we can change that. That’s been my honest since I started this and came across that it resonated with other folks. Folks advance as much as me and narrate, “I comprise to invent issues,” and it’s pleasing. 

Maker Faire is family oriented. So we had tons of teenagers there. Five minutes in, they’ve colossal eyes. They wanna know the method diagram they secure to strive these issues? That enthusiasm the makers enjoy connects to the teens really correctly they assuredly wanna know, how did you be taught to diagram that? How diagram I inaugurate doing that? In the occasion that they went to a soccer sport or they went to a tune dwell performance, it’d be easy to respond those questions of, what’s going to you play soccer? There’s a community league or there’s tune lessons down the avenue to be taught the guitar. But to be a maker, it wasn’t that simple. And outdated generations presumably had a mum or dad who had a shed or a storage they assuredly brought the kid in. I’d always plod into those tales, however heaps of teenagers don’t enjoy that.

And so I started really — the premise in around 2010 — of increasing makerspaces and getting those into colleges so that teenagers enjoy the opportunity to diagram that. Adults too. And Rick gave a huge presentation on the FUBAR. And since that ingredient I talked about earlier, invent one thing and diagram it with others is mainly crucial. But getting this around the teens, I command is transformative for them.

So this is my first agonize of Enjoy, really twenty years ago, actually. And so I had been working at O’Reilly and had a guide series called Hacks and one of many titles, it used to be TiVo Hacks, as soon as you occur to bear in mind the TiVo DVR machine. The roughly hackers checked out it and talked about, “Oh, it’s a Linux box. I’m able to secure inner and replace the laborious pressure and upgrade it to this and diagram that.” And I believed that’s nice looking, we’re gonna inaugurate hacking user equipment and diagram issues love that. Person electronic equipment anyway. And it lawful led me down that avenue to inaugurate pondering. I was doing the books, would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally I diagram a magazine on it?

On yarn of there are heaps of factual recommendations available. And what I really wanted to diagram is a magazine about initiatives. Things to build. Wired magazine would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally talk regarding the model forward for technology or some huge company doing this or that. I wished to illustrate the work. You would possibly per chance well perhaps presumably additionally bolt support to the manuals that we wrote, the documentation is, “right here’s how to diagram this your self.”

So we seemed for initiatives that were enjoyable and you will additionally replicate. So our first mission really used to be this one right here. I’ll demonstrate you in a deeper one of this kite aerial pictures, however we had how to invent a magnetic stripe card reader. Techniques to read what’s on the support of your credit card or resort room card key, lawful nice looking issues love that.

And in the predominant agonize I had the revelation that I’m gonna name our readers makers. It’s Enjoy makers, now not Learn readers. That roughly took off in its possess method that I was looking out for to distinguish. I talked about earlier regarding the distinction between being a user of technology and being a maker of technology. And kite aerial pictures really struck me because the roughly ingredient that I was taking a look for in initiatives. It used to be the premise of constructing a rig, placing a digicam on it, attaching it to a kite, flying the kite, then taking photos in the air.

But there’s loads extra to this. Cris Benton used to be a professor of architecture at UC Berkeley, and he firstly did it to secure perspectives of buildings from a few couple hundred feet in the air. You couldn’t diagram it from a plane taking a look down. And he couldn’t diagram it from a ladder ’cause it would possibly per chance per chance perhaps easiest be six or eight feet sizable. So he started that. And he had frail digital cameras and it used to be costly to diagram it.

So we convinced him to diagram one which used to be a disposable digicam. And we built a rig out of Popsicle sticks. But there’s moderately ping pong ball in the corner there, and he called it his silly putty viscous timer. He had to position a trigger in silly putty and it gave him about 20 seconds to secure the kite in the air. And it would possibly per chance per chance perhaps release, the ping pong ball would fall, the shutter would bolt off, and he’d secure his characterize.

So it is that roughly ingenuity, love cleverness. In a variety of how I really enjoy seemed support at a time, Fashioned Science and Fashioned Mechanics, which started firstly of the 20th century, however even supposing rather about a, they’re restful around. But I love the ones from the fifties and earlier. It used to be love hacking a pig trough and constructing a Martin’s nest. There’s a huge fluctuate of nice looking issues. And so I checked out those and the diagram ingredient of Enjoy magazine follows those magazines as correctly. 

But right here’s Fashioned Mechanics, 1961, qualified?

I don’t know the method obedient this sidewalk automobile really is. The headline I really cherished used to be “Scientists on the Brink of Hell.” I didn’t really determine what that one used to be, now not too delicate is it? What is it, 35 cents? It’s fat of tons of issues. On the bottom there would possibly per chance be invent your possess printed circuits, and there it is.

I really came across this years later after we had carried out a magazine article on making your possess printed circuit boards, and this one begins off precisely what I command the promise is. This seems to be love it’s laborious however you are going to be ready to diagram it. Esteem we can utter for you ways to diagram that and you will additionally observe and diagram that.

I command this originate invitation for folks to lawful be taught one thing and it’s enjoyable to diagram that and be ready to diagram it. There’s all these rather about a issues, love the autos coming in two years, and we had a 3D-printed automobile agonize. Essentially the most notorious one on these Fashioned Science used to be always the flying automobile, which this will seemingly be or would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally now not be. But restful enjoy those coming in a one year now.

My well-liked hide of Enjoy magazine we ever did used to be Peek Versus Peek. We had a surveillance agonize of observe tech. It wasn’t that serious so great, however we contacted Infected Journal they assuredly gave us permission. I command we despatched them the premise they assuredly did the drawing. I lawful love that. 

And there’s one thing in that I command. I watch this in Japan extra than in the US, however tech in Japan is most incessantly a hybridization of well-liked culture and technology. Their robots all enjoy costumes. It’ll be a sumo robotic, a samurai robotic, and despite it is. In contrast to China, which hasn’t had heaps of widespread culture. They’re very factual at constructing issues, however they don’t enjoy that fusion going on the assign you assign a silly face on one thing. 

There used to be a a nice looking talk earlier this day on what were those drones doing over Original Jersey? We really helped kick off a drone motion. I had the the author of the kit pictures announcing to me a few years later, “Oh, if drones had been around, presumably I’d’ve by no methodology gotten into kites.” ‘Trigger he would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally enjoy carried out all of that as correctly.

A nice looking ingredient is Chris Anderson, you would additionally know used to be a Wired magazine editor on the time, started a drone company and he wanted of us that knew loads about drones residing in the Bay Apartment, he thought he would catch someone at Berkeley or someone at Stanford, someone who had heaps of technical coaching. As a replacement, he came across Jordan Munoz in Tijuana who had lawful graduated from excessive college, however he knew extra about drones than anybody else he would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally catch. And I lawful love that overall yarn.

I will narrate that, we continued to observe drones, now not so great as a hobbyist ingredient, however I did a myth last one year, I command on Ukraine and the maker motion in Ukraine and the method in which, clearly they’re using heaps of drones in war. But they’ve to diagram issues to switch and function those issues. And I had one man that works in the militia bolt over and focus on with and he talked about: “That’s gonna be the drone capital of the enviornment after the war.” I’m sorry, it’s war oriented, when they dropped one thing from a drone it created noise. So that person, the target would watch up and narrate, I hear it. So they had to station ways to function silent however deadly payloads. 

The predominant 3D printing. 3D printing the patent for it is 1984, however it’s really makers by, first of at some stage in the RepRap mission and then by Makerbot. That is what the magnificence of enthusiasts, they didn’t know what they would diagram with a 3D printer, however that’s why they built 3D printers, so they would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally figure it out. What would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally we invent if we had 3D printing? And so that’s Bre Pettis and some others there enjoy been portion of that fashioned MakerBot crew, which used to be very real and also exploded.

That is Adafruit’s Limor Fried, one of many breakout tales, lawful establishing an electronics company in Lengthy island. She’s an MIT graduate, however she would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally build and invent nearly anything else. Elegant incredible.

I don’t know as soon as you occur to observe this, however doubtlessly a number of the makerspaces right here at some stage in Covid. I did a series, I called it Opinion C, because hospitals would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally now not secure clinical equipment love face shields and face masks. And in level of fact, the administrators were telling them you’ll want to to to diagram it without that. And so makerspaces started making them. I did a roughly a video series on it called a Opinion C. When there’s a self-discipline, notion A is the authorities solves it. Opinion B is you watch to corporate The united states. Opinion A and B weren’t working thoroughly. So we grew to change into to devise C, which is secure electorate excited about doing this. We had of us that had by no methodology carried out any clinical equipment build. Even gowns love sanatorium gowns wanted to be made. And we had makerspaces that were assuredly shut down, however they assign up as factories to form these issues.

This situation right here used to be a health care provider and his son who transformed scuba instruments proper into a veil. And so incredible skill that the Maker motion showed. Designs would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally bolt any place, however you had to invent them in the community. Esteem in East Tennessee or Chicago. In Chicago, DePaul University closed for Covid, however college students and college took house the 3D printers. When the want came for face shields and issues, other folks started making them.

They called up the sanatorium and talked about, “Hey, we’ve got a bunch of 3D masks for you.” “We are able to’t capture ’em. They’re now not licensed.” So they started calling docs and nurses, and the doctor talked about, “If you ship it to my house, it would possibly per chance per chance perhaps additionally stroll in with me and I’ll exhaust it.” So the DePaul University guys connected with bike messengers who were also out of labor, they assuredly would advance by, expend up 3D masks and fall ’em off on the home of the ER doctor or the ER nurse. And that’s how they solved that self-discipline.

That is one other well-liked, lawful Adam Savage who’s, been a roughly a fixture Maker Faire in the Bay Apartment. And he’s the extra widespread and public face of diagram this at house. Adam will give what we name a Sunday Sermon. This used to be 2023, we’re on Mare Island, which is our original plan for Maker Faire. And he comes in on the electric giraffe and then he stands up there and he provides his compare with thousands of oldsters. So it’s lovely awesome. 

Asimov made one other prediction, which used to be, “great effort will seemingly be assign into designing of autos with robotic brains.” And clearly he’s lovely qualified about that, however I wanna teach you a maker yarn.

It’s really my well-liked maker yarn. That is Damon McMillan, and he had an thought of constructing an self sustaining boat, one which will seemingly be assign in the water and pointed someplace, and would trek there. So this is his chalkboard; right here’s his parts checklist, his drawings, he’s gonna build it in his storage.

That is what it looks love when he lastly gets it in the water. It’s assuredly characterize voltaic panels on top of a small boat. And he talked about: “I built the Seacharger in my storage. No longer for cash or opponents, however simply as a self-discipline.” And I lawful command that displays the maker thoughts. Can I diagram this? Can I figure it out? I don’t know however I’ll strive. 

So he talked about what started as a one year lengthy mission grew to change into into 30 months of mistakes, compromises, and diagram-overs, qualified? So that’s, you bought this pleasing thought. You assign it on the chalkboard and it’s really laborious to diagram, however that’s portion of the topic.

And he brought it to Maker Faire in the Bay Apartment. And then the next weekend, he assign Seacharger in the ocean at Half Moon Bay, which is on California cruise, and he assign it on a direction for Hawaii, qualified? Elegant incredible. And so Forty one days after open, he says, “I’m standing on the shore on the colossal island with my wife, of us, brother and reporter, and I preserve the predominant explore of the characterize voltaic panels in the solar.”

So it makes it. And this is the cash shot. He says “I’m right here with my family, I’ve been telling them I’m doing this, and why are you spending all this time in the storage? You’re crazy.” Right here, watch how sheepish she looks, love this is — I did it. I did it, qualified?

So it’s lawful a whimsical yarn, however it doesn’t stay right here. He got your total technique to Hawaii and he thinks, I’m now not gonna pack this up and ship it support to California. I’m gonna program it to switch to Original Zealand. So he locations it support in the water. But after One hundred and five days at sea, the rudder stopped responding. The Seacharger traveled an spectacular 6,480 nautical miles. And he used to be ready to observe the assign it used to be your total time, however then at some level he lawful didn’t secure any indicators and it used to be long past. So this is the yarn we did in Enjoy on it that he wrote moderately boat that will well perhaps additionally.

And I called him as much as compare with him about it as soon as and he told me this yarn. On yarn of that’s now not the stay of the yarn either. His mother of all other folks begins nagging him. There’s all those cargo ships in the ocean. They would possibly per chance well perhaps presumably additionally watch your boat now. A crazy thought. But it completely’s your mother? It’s good to please her. 

So you name up a cargo ship line and you secure someone they assuredly inaugurate speaking to every rather about a they assuredly catch it. By the method in which, lawful the day before this day, the boat used to be picked up by a container ship on suggestions on how to Original Zealand. 

Elevate out one thing. All these pleasing issues occur to you. It used to be then assign proper into a Original Zealand maritime museum on demonstrate for a form of months. You realize, what an ideal attempting ingredient that begins with a couple recommendations in the storage and an Arduino and some GPS and rather about a sensors.

I command this maker stuff speaks to a roughly intelligence. There’s every diagram of intelligences, however one to solve complications or function merchandise which are valued in one or extra cultural contexts. I enjoy assuredly we easiest give consideration to the change aspect of issues and assuredly we want other folks discovering those rather about a contexts.

For children specifically, curiosity, company, resiliency are the forms of issues that I watch they would possibly be able to secure by observe in makerspaces. You would possibly per chance well perhaps presumably’t teach a baby about company. They enjoy got to ride it. They enjoy got to in level of fact feel it, they’ve to command that they would possibly be able to diagram issues.

When they watch rather about a other folks doing issues love at Maker Faire, they inaugurate to observe it’s doubtless for them. So I command that the arc of Enjoy is love, technology’s making it more uncomplicated for added other folks to diagram issues that beforehand easiest an elite few would possibly per chance well perhaps additionally diagram. And I command AI’s going to be one other layer of that. We have got one thing on our web narrate, a community of fellows who were at Maker Faire last one year from Berkeley, they assuredly’ve created an AI interface to CAD. So you lawful describe the object you got to enjoy and give it a instantaneous, and it comes support with that object in 3D with a bunch of sliders down the aspect, which you will additionally modify it, invent it increased, invent this, that. Though-provoking. Though-provoking. Reveal regarding the of us that will well perhaps’t be taught even TinkerCad can inaugurate there and watch what they want.

And I love this Marshall McLuhan quote, we exhaust and instruments the instruments we exhaust inaugurate to shape our possess capabilities and the method in which we watch ourselves. When I’m going support to those early issues of lawful being a user is now not the equivalent to having the thoughts of a maker.

We have got the InMoov robotic the assign our subsequent agonize of Enjoy is on humanoid robots. I did the yarn on Gael Langvin, a Frenchman who’s really extra of an artist — you would additionally narrate a designer extra than a technologist — however he’s created this originate source robotic. And he’s recently created pores and skin, a silicone pores and skin for the robotic’s face, and there’s 17 motors in the face, and he is using AI. He’s giving that files in a instantaneous and announcing, must you respond to one thing you would additionally exhaust these motors to function an expression of sadness or happiness or anything else love that.

There’s this phrase, the issues we invent watch love us and demonstrate one thing about us.

So thanks for being with me this day. And I’d lawful love you to command, what’s going to we diagram with your total energy and hobby, and specifically with teenagers, to present them extra opportunities to invent issues and function extra of this in our culture and society? I’m really gratified to verify with you this day, and thanks very great.