ESSENTIAL QUESTION
To what degree can we automate computer systems?
Why Did you Select This As Your Essential Question?
I selected this as my essential question because it relates to an important innovation happening in technology right now, as well as what I do personally at my internship. In my department, everyone is focused on automating what they do to be more efficient. Personally, I’m working on automating a system that moves user data between multiple machines on a network. Technology is already heavily computerized, so automation is inherent in the field. Every day I learn more and more about automation, seeing as it’s almost always the end goal when working with computer systems.
What Excites You The Most About This Essential Question?
The most exciting thing about answering the question is it will help me make one of my abstract goals more concrete, which is to make a computer processor that is at a more advanced level than any other current processor. Computer automation fails most often in glitches, bugs, and hardware failure, so if a new processor was made, one that may be impervious to hardware failure and code faults, it would be revolutionary. I am always excited when I get to take an abstract goal, and make it into a reality. By answering a question– and by extension, creating a point grounded in reality– I can take an idea that may be visionary in nature, and make it into something practical. Practicality is the key in the world of computers, if something is impractical, then it will never be used. Creating a practical device that can help innovate the technology in the field that I am in is incredibly exciting.
Does This Question Accurately Reflect Your Desire/ Need To Find More Information About This Topic?
I have always had a strong desire for knowledge in how things work; what makes them tick. This question reflects my desire for this information, through its inherent decisiveness and interrogative nature. In order to learn, you have to not just ask questions, but ask the right questions. By creating an essential question that directly contributes to another matter, it shows my need to move forward, to gain even more knowledge. The information that I gain through one question is used to form another, until enough questions are answered to make a decision or create something new, and that then leads to yet another question.