Mind Tricks
July 31st, 2009 by ComputerBob
At one time when my wife and I were still relative newlyweds, our only car was an old, red 1966 Volkswagen Beetle with green front fenders that we were able to buy for only $200 because it refused to start. I worked on it for several days before I finally fixed the problem by removing its starter motor and replacing the very worn, pressed-in, $2 collar bearing that precisely positioned the end of the starter motor shaft alongside the engine’s flywheel.
Then, out of financial necessity, I read an old paperback book, written by a hippie, that taught me how to do things like adjust its valves with a feeler gauge and set its ignition points by hand, with a 6-volt light bulb and a screwdriver. We were singing for a living back then, and driving all over the country, so I had to adjust those ignition points and valves every 4-5 weeks — whether we were at home or in a church parking lot somewhere out in the wild west.
That old Beetle served us well, for tens of thousands of miles, until it died in an accident that also nearly killed my wife and me.
Nowadays, our identical Saturns have computer-controlled electronic ignition, self-adjusting valves and other advanced technologies that are either maintenance-free, or are far too complicated for me to maintain with my “old fashioned” tools, knowledge and skills.
Similarly, I think most computer users want to be able to use their computers, but they don’t have the knowledge, skills or motivation to do anything “under the hood.”
And I’m guessing that most people also feel that same way about their brain. They don’t know how it works and they don’t really care about how it works, just as long as it works.
But even if you feel that way, you may enjoy taking a peek under the hood and trying a few mind tricks.
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