So many instruments and machines surround us that more than often we fail to even realize this fact or recognize the things as a ‘machines’ or ‘instruments’. They are an important and inseparable part of our life. We think of the instruments similarly as maybe about limbs or sense organs. Rather, we never consciously think of it anymore. Instruments have so well incorporated in our lifestyle that now they almost define life. Well, I am myself surrounded by them always, and cannot imagine my life before the instruments and machines. They are an essential part of me. Of us. Debating about its influence is one side of the coin, enjoying it is the other. And we just love dealing with the luxury side of the coin. But sometimes it is funny to realize that the thing I am using every day, that is such an essential part of my life, is a machine, just another non-living instrument!!
We had a group meeting in the lab yesterday. Besides things, we also discussed about the yearly lab report that has to be written for the annual book. The institute this time made some minor changes in the format and we talked about those. It was required that each lab submits 3-4 pictures beside the group photo. Now ‘picture’ was the word mentioned which is clearly different from ‘figures’. Generally, some figures and schemes representative of the work published by the lab are given along with these kinds of reports. However, picture is something completely different. Maybe it was a mistake or the institute meant to have pictures of the lab instruments, people working with the instruments etc.. We just decided to clear it with the office.
And then we were having a little laugh about what pictures we can give if the lab really needs to give some ‘pictures’. We do not have fancy (or not fancy) instruments. We are a Chemometrics lab. We work on computers and have only programs and softwares. But nothing is as such tangible besides the computers. And computers are not instruments! And pictures working on the computers are not ‘cool’ enough. Without any instrument in lab, we had no picture that will show us doing some high-end research!
And it is then amidst all the fun I realized that the computer I use every day is not an instrument to me. It is a machine in all sense of the term. And yet, I do not really realize it to be so. Spending almost all my waking hours in front of my computer or laptop, they are a part of me. However unattached this part is from the physical me; it is still a part that I care about. And we human beings are not yet accustomed with the idea of having any fond association with something that is just a non-living machine. Therefore, we subconsciously just cease to think it to be one. It is a machine, true, but just in the book. For me it has a name. It is my computer!
They are.. a computer, a laptop, a mobile phone, a pen, a light, a bus, a oven, a …. I use them every day. Yes, a surgical instrument, a NMR system, a robot, a rocket, a screwdriver and things with which I cannot really associate myself, these are all instruments and fancy machines. However, my computer definitely is not one. This is what my mind says.
If I have to casually list all the machines around me, I will definitely not count my computer, or my mobile phone, or my ……. Unless I really think and go with the definition.
We had a group meeting in the lab yesterday. Besides things, we also discussed about the yearly lab report that has to be written for the annual book. The institute this time made some minor changes in the format and we talked about those. It was required that each lab submits 3-4 pictures beside the group photo. Now ‘picture’ was the word mentioned which is clearly different from ‘figures’. Generally, some figures and schemes representative of the work published by the lab are given along with these kinds of reports. However, picture is something completely different. Maybe it was a mistake or the institute meant to have pictures of the lab instruments, people working with the instruments etc.. We just decided to clear it with the office.
And then we were having a little laugh about what pictures we can give if the lab really needs to give some ‘pictures’. We do not have fancy (or not fancy) instruments. We are a Chemometrics lab. We work on computers and have only programs and softwares. But nothing is as such tangible besides the computers. And computers are not instruments! And pictures working on the computers are not ‘cool’ enough. Without any instrument in lab, we had no picture that will show us doing some high-end research!
And it is then amidst all the fun I realized that the computer I use every day is not an instrument to me. It is a machine in all sense of the term. And yet, I do not really realize it to be so. Spending almost all my waking hours in front of my computer or laptop, they are a part of me. However unattached this part is from the physical me; it is still a part that I care about. And we human beings are not yet accustomed with the idea of having any fond association with something that is just a non-living machine. Therefore, we subconsciously just cease to think it to be one. It is a machine, true, but just in the book. For me it has a name. It is my computer!
They are.. a computer, a laptop, a mobile phone, a pen, a light, a bus, a oven, a …. I use them every day. Yes, a surgical instrument, a NMR system, a robot, a rocket, a screwdriver and things with which I cannot really associate myself, these are all instruments and fancy machines. However, my computer definitely is not one. This is what my mind says.
If I have to casually list all the machines around me, I will definitely not count my computer, or my mobile phone, or my ……. Unless I really think and go with the definition.
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