Sept. 15, 2020
Although it is difficult for very large groups of people (countries, religions) to be creative because of comfort with the past, and a tendency to not go through the process of change, it is the key to what we are, for better or worse. The larger the group, the more resistance, and this resistance is often based on our tendency to forget the bad parts and view it as better than it was, But it does and must occur. and outstanding leadership is necessary. Let me give a couple of examples I have been aware of in my lifetime.
One was the number of changes that occurred in the U.S. when Franklin Roosevelt was president. The U.S. pulled itself out of a deep depression and turned itself into a world power. Part of this was the leadership ability of Roosevelt, the people he surrounded himself with, a congress that worked, and the productive capability of the country. The other part was based on a number of problems that could be clearly defined, and the where with all to solve them. Not everyone liked the directions the country was taking (I still encounter Roosevelt haters even though he has been dead for 75 years). I was 7 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed and 12 years old when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed, so I experienced WWII as a kid. and swallowed our propaganda, although I also swallowed my family's anger when our Japanese friend and neighbor and family were hauled off to Manzanar for the duration (they never did get their farm back), And the U.S. did do it's bit at winning the war. We paid a price in men and materials, but ended with a very healthy economy, no damage in the property in our 48 states , relatively few casualties compared to Russia, a large amount of pride, and the beginning of our realization that women could work in factories. We also developed stronger ties with allies such as Australia, India, China, and other countries on the same side as we were. It also was probably one of the reasons for the European Union. The future of this Union will tell us something about the feasibility of creativity in large groups of people in the future.
Another, and very different example of creativity in large groups was the "space race" beginning with the U.S. and Russia, and is still underway, with many more participants. I was involved in this between 1958 and 1966, first as a graduate student at Stanford working on remote control, and later as an Engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. This was, and is, a very sophisticated technology contest now involving not only countries, but now, as you know, private companies. The majority of the people involved are motivated by the challenges in reaching increasingly difficult technical goals, plus a bit of vicarious glamour. When I worked as an engineer at JPL, the goal of NASA was first to fly by the moon and take photos (Ranger), then to land on the moon and get a feel for the nature of the surface (Surveyor) and then to land people on the moon (Apollo). Now JPL is finishing an even more sophisticated Mars lander that will take more data on the Martian environment and includes a small helicopter. People on Mars are next. Meanwhile there are many communications and scientific instruments in Earth orbit, and exploring other planets. In fact two spacecraft launched in the 1970's (Voyagers 1 and 2 ) are still communicating to JPL and have left the influence of the sun and are officially in interstellar space.
This endeavor has come to involve a large number of people, and although a technically sophisticated game, necessarily requires a great deal of equipment and team work. The leaders are generally not after wealth and fame. The head of JPL when I worked there was Bill Pickering, a quietly speaking professor at Caltech, and the division and group leaders were all technical people. But the committment to the work was extreme. If you watch the behavior of the workers as their machine lands (or crashes), you will get the picture. I left the lab because the air pollution was getting annoying in Southern California, and because Stanford made me a very nice offer. But even though I haven't visited JPL in years, when I watch a launch or landing on TV, tears come to my eyes. The same is true of others in the space game, whether carrying people or not, headed for earth orbit, other planets, or deep space, and U.S., Russian, Chinese, E.U., or whatever.. The people in the group share knowledge and experience (assuming it isn't classified of course), tend to know people throughout the "business", and are proud of being part of the game. Even though I haven't played full time in the game for over 50 years, I miss it and the teamwork.
Both of these two activities have or had leaders that were or are committed to causes that help large groups of people lead better lives. The first type becomes known and broadly loved (F.D.R.). The second may not be as likely to dominate the media and end up in the history books. Their lives are devoted to helping their followers, not seeking to become famous and wealthy (Bill Pickering). They may get there , but are focused on their colleagues and their mission. And they know how to recognize and attract the right helpers, and listen to them, rather than considering themselves omniscient. I worry that modern accumulations of wealth, power and communications may be causing a shortage of such leaders in the world. We seem to be accumulating "strong men" as heads of large populations and projects who act as though they know all the answers and usually are backed up by weak followers who are selected because they agree with the boss. They usually are heading toward becoming dictators, and historically come to no good end, as do the large populations,
Enough about creativity in large groups. To say a few words about a less lofty topic, the Peterbiilt project continues on its way. The cab is free of rust and most of the bumps and scars it had collected over its life and is mostly painted. The electrical and mechanical systems are working well. Some work is still needed on the frame and brake system, but it is beginning (it has been delayed because it requires lying in dripping oil and old grease). My friend Loren and I are now beginning to do another layer of restoration on a very large Austin road roller I own. It is a rare machine for a number of reasons, and now almost mechanically complete —but its engine does not seem to want to run. I will keep you informed. I will send you some photos with my next post, but not unusually, I am having trouble with my computer right now.
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