Things are getting old so quickly that humanity has never seen such fast change in history. When I was a kid, my father got me a PC with a flat desktop case. On it was a label that said, “Never Obsolete.” Back then, the idea behind that computer was groundbreaking: it was designed so you’d never need to upgrade or replace it—it was meant to last your whole life. Yet, it only had 4 megabytes of RAM! As time goes on, we often look back and see how some things seem silly—not at the time, but when we think about them later.
For example, today, when I look at software companies like JetBrains, which sell software directly, their business model feels outdated, like it’s from a century ago! Not that long ago, Microsoft used a similar model until things changed about a decade ago. Everything moves so fast now; nothing feels steady anymore.
The fast pace of technology has its good and bad sides. The exciting part is that we might see humans land on Mars in our lifetime! But the bad side is the constant change, which is very different from the calm and steady rhythm of nature. Sometimes, the joy of life doesn’t come from change but from stability—and these days, nothing feels stable. Even physics ideas, which once lasted for centuries, now seem to last only decades.
When I started university, the top engineering degree was electrical engineering, with mechanical engineering close behind. Today, computer science has taken over as the top choice by a huge margin.
The other day, I was looking for a series to watch and found one about the computer revolution and the early days of computing. It had great ratings, but not many people seemed interested in it—because it was about events from 30–40 years ago! The shows that are popular now are all about current trends. I want to explore why people are so focused on trends and less interested in history in the next paragraph.
What I want to talk about here is how, with constant technological advances, trends in tech and science are changing too fast. Many people (maybe most) seem to follow only the latest trends. One day, Bitcoin is trending, and everyone tries to add “blockchain” to their startup ideas. The next day, artificial intelligence is the buzzword, and people rush to study AI (even if their field isn’t really connected to it). I don’t like this trend-following behavior.
The most important discoveries in history didn’t come from following trends but from going against them. Galileo didn’t follow the crowd—he challenged it. The same goes for Kurt Gödel. The mathematicians who created the ideas behind linear algebra (which is now key for AI) weren’t chasing trends. They were exploring abstract math problems that interested them. Over time, their work became essential for real-world applications. This is the kind of meaningful progress that I admire: work that isn’t noticed right away but makes a lasting impact.
This trend-focused culture we live in is hurting that way of thinking. People are changing their degree choices out of fear of missing out on trends, and I don’t think this is good for humanity (humans?).
P.S: Read this post form Tim Urban about the pace of tech advancements.
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