I intend to look at technology the way [C. B.] Macpherson looked at democracy, as ideas and dreams, as practices and procedures, as hopes and myths.*
Ursula Franklin

As I begin reading David Epstein’s Range I have been reacquainted with Laszlo Polgar and his life project to grow his children Susan, Judit and Sofia into geniuses, specifically chess champions.

I’d come across this story several years ago. Laszlo first of all had to find a partner to pursue his experiment with. Marrying Klara, the couple set out to see if it was possible to grow genius. The daughters’ achievements are quite remarkable but the thing I remember from my first encounter was how the girls came to see more important things in life than chess.

As I reread the story, I find myself with the thought that I am more concerned to discover with people who haven’t had such a focused upbringing just where their experiences have brought the to and the choices they now have.

These are probably to lying around on the surface, but are certainly to be found beneath the surface.

Ursula Franklin’s insights not only stretch from democracy to technology but also to the contents of our lives because we are more than the practices and procedures our working lives may pour or force us into, we are also ideas and dreams and stories

I hope you still believe this, but even if this is difficult, they are still there, possibly well-hidden beneath he layers of practices and procedures, roles and responsibilities. These are what I love to discover, and it’s for everyone.

*From Ursula Franklin’s The Real World of Technology.