Wouldn\u2019t it be great if you were one of the lucky few who received an unlimited amount of Pym Particles? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine what you could do with a super set of Hot Wheels. A whole dealer\u2019s lot of cars, stored in a case on a shelf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know I would have loved using the particles this morning to get through traffic. I like the idea of the subatomic particles turning me 50 feet tall. Imagine making yourself so huge that the normal 30-45-minute drive would turn into just a step, and my child hopping off my pinky to get to class. Marvel Comics were imaginative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But then again, those of us who grew up in the latter half of the last century were surrounded by innovation with rapid improvements. We saw the birth of the computer age, including video games. If you are old enough, maybe you had Pong, and then Atari came out with arcade games to play at home. Did anyone have an Atari Computer? Remember those thick cartridges? I remember my thumb hurting from playing Space Invaders. We went from Pong to Atari computers to Nintendo in a decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As kids, our imaginations were encouraged, and our conversations were about new ideas. My friend and I fantasized about video phones so we could instantly share our latest Lip Smacker or Mrs. Grossman sticker acquisitions. But the idea of being anywhere in the world, talking on a phone, was huge. Often met with silence, as we tried to imagine not being tied to a cord or phone booth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conversations walking home from school or sleepovers would often turn to \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be great if we had…\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My brother and his friends talked about how cool it would be to have the things from Star Trek. Video calls, tablets, and phones, aka communicators. Let\u2019s be honest, how many people spoke into their flip phone with their best Capt. Kirk’s voice to say, “Beam me up, Scotty?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking around, I think we accomplished most of the Star Trek goals. Although I am still waiting for teleportation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We were living in the time of if you think it, we can figure out how to make it. Garages had workbenches because our parents came from an era when you fixed the waffle iron instead of getting a new one. The workbenches gave a place to imagine and tinker if you were allowed to touch the tools. Hence, the start-ups in garages. We had optimism about the future. As the song goes, \u201cThe future is so bright, I have to wear shades.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine my shock when I recently came across several young people who said, \u201cWhat is left to invent?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mind short-circuited for a moment. Then it started racing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn\u2019t figure out when we stopped looking for what might come next. We grew up trying to make things better, always reaching for something just beyond our grasp. It wasn\u2019t about what we had. It was about what we could build. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A part of me wondered whether everything now just feels like an upgrade rather than something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We used to sit around and ask, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be great if we had\u2026\u201d So I said it out loud. \u201cFinish this sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They looked at me for a moment, then lifted their phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For starters, the teleporter and Pym particles haven\u2019t been invented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They ignored me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SMH<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From childhood conversations about what could be invented to hearing \u201cwhat\u2019s left to invent,\u201d this is a reflection on how the way we think about possibility may be changing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111203969,"featured_media":9710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvdGlkYml0c2FuZHdoYXRub3RzLmNvbVwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDNcL0ltYWdlLmpwZWciLCJ0eHQiOiJXb3VsZG4ndCBJdCBCZSBHcmVhdCBJZi4uLiIsInRlbXBsYXRlIjoiaGlnaHdheSIsImZvbnQiOiIiLCJibG9nX2lkIjoxMTczOTEwMjN9.6ZBrXH6T92YiKwW4oJ9ePvln-hewRnaKfJXtBCUjpwIMQ"},"version":2,"attached_media":[]},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[779323134],"tags":[779323288,779323291,779323286,779323287,779323290,779323289],"class_list":["post-9705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","tag-atari","tag-create","tag-imagination","tag-innovation","tag-inventions","tag-pong"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7WyLB-2wx","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8025,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=8025","url_meta":{"origin":9705,"position":0},"title":"Why the Fight Over Stoves Misses the Point","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"April 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A personal reflection on induction cooktops, innovation, and how small technologies quietly protect the people and places that matter most.","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?cat=779323134"},"img":{"alt_text":"Using smart technology to make everyday home life safer, easier, and more connected.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/home-innovations.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/home-innovations.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/home-innovations.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/home-innovations.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/home-innovations.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10003,"url":"https:\/\/tidbitsandwhatnots.com\/?p=10003","url_meta":{"origin":9705,"position":1},"title":"The Case of Missing Body Parts","author":"Tidbits and Whatnots","date":"April 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"I expected the river cleanup to yield mud and rusted cans. 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