Non-centralized, distributed computing, is as old as mother nature. NON tech, not HIGH tech!

I asked the question last week are we too smart? Maybe I should have asked whether we are smart enough. Either question leads me into thinking about our SMART world today. Within our personal little universe at Microchip we work at serving our clients with SMART, CONNECTED, and SECURE solutions that uniquely solve the challenges that our clients face. THEIR challenges, well understood and aimed at making the world a better place.

We view technology as an answer to the challenge of serving. And it is part of the answer.

But technology on its own, without regard for its intent in deployment, can be useless. Making it have value and contribute to the human experience is critical to making a difference with those we serve. And here is where I morph from SMART to CONNECTED….

In the last year, our “connectedness” was first challenged and questioned. Quickly, however most of us realized that the new way of communication lifestyle had in fact given us more connectedness than ever. In our own little world of electronics we focus on an electronic world that is highly distributed, non centralized, and yet highly connected. While we call this the universe known as embedded control, it is simply a structure that relies heavily on the ability to effectively and efficiently CONNECT and communicate. Little bits of brain power scattered all around the universe, doing their own little local “thing”, and in MANY cases connecting to other parts of the world and sharing their “story”. SMART, CONNECTED distributed intelligence everywhere we look. Including at the bottom of the ocean!

Yep… and mother nature again beat us to the punch in non centralized distributed computing and communication. The hero of this non high tech story is the OCTOPUS.

This master of distributed connected computing is a “networking” marvel. The octopus has a very large central brain for its mass. However only about one third of its brains are in its head. Two thirds of an octopus’s brains are in its legs…. Each of its 8 legs has its own distributed and connected brain. So it seems that these creatures of the deep oceans have been doing embedded control for eternity. And as any good system goes, it seems that it is quite effective and communicates quite well and with high security as the octopus also has 3 hearts that must be in full sync with all of the other inherent challenges of its structure.

So, I relate this to you.. why? Just to make a point that our understanding of the realities of the world are ever changing, what we now learn should reframe our thinking, and our old assumptions of what once worked really are NOT applicable any longer. No, going back, only going forward, only making better decisions than ever, by questioning ALL of the assumptions that we have relied on UP UNTIL NOW! While the octopus took a LONG time to evolve into 9 brains, 3 hearts AND blue blood… Evolution is not sufficient for us. Re invention is the best way forward. Innovation in the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we act.

OK, LET’s ROLL!

Mitch