"I see dead...wires." At work, I spent the entire month of June working on a graphically interfaced pseudo-programming language called "Labview" to command my computer to talk to my gas manifold/reactor through an RS485 networking card. You have to setup things like temperature, pressure, oxygen, and flow sensors in order to "see" what's going on.In the mean time, I ordered lots and lots of parts. They arrived last week, so the nature of my work has changed substantially. No longer the computer-oriented engineer, I am the “task-oriented operation guy." Specifically, I've been playing electrician for the past two days.
For hours and hours on end, I stripped, soldered, tightened, drilled, positioned, burnt, poked, and smashed my fingers. Amongst all the swearing and the cursing of the stubby finger gods, I successfully assembled my electrical panel.
It reminded me of a BB thread some time ago about the hard sciences. I took that position that art was more creative and more open, the crowds responded with strong opposition. And perhaps they were right. When I look at my beauteous work, I am surprised at myself. Truly, electricianism IS an art. An art I have yet to master. HOWEVER, what most people would call "creativity" in an electrical enclosure, an electrician would call a Darwin Award waiting to happen.
I still hold that because scientists care more about creation for the sake of utility than creation for the sake of expression/creativity, they are inherently less artistic. Where does that leave me, a lowbrow in desperate need of more color than black, red, white, and green? I don't know; I'm still working on that one. For now, I have to find some Band-Aids.
1 comment:
Some would argue that it is the ability to see art in a piece of work, rather than create it, that is the ultimate skill.
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