It was in my first year at college (read Uni these days) that I realised that many people hate to admit that they don’t understand something, or that they are unfamiliar with something or someone. My school, perhaps unusually, had drummed it into us that it was our duty as students to ask questions when we did not understand, so that we could learn and thereby cease to be ignorant. That was what education was about: if you don’t ‘get it’ – ask!
But the majority of my colleagues at City were, apparently, highly embarrassed by not knowing instantly what the lecturer was on about; they wouldn’t say a dickie-bird, merely shuffle uncomfortably in their seats until I, or one other unfazed lad, would ask and receive clarification. Whereupon there would be a collective sigh of relief from the rest of the hall, and sometimes a relieved whisper – “thank goodness you asked that”.
After graduating, I quickly learnt the parallel discipline of never bullshitting. Not that it was one of my particular weaknesses (I had many others), but in a company that was full of experts, I regularly saw the sad outcome of recent graduates attempting to claim knowledge that they didn’t actually have; frequently one of the older people in the meeting or work group would turn out to either be the inventor of whatever it was, or to be someone who had worked under the inventor, back in WWII.
There were many clever cookies back then, both in industry and in government research organisations. In those days when electronics were just getting off the ground and funding was of little consequence if the result might help the war effort, the innovation shown by British engineers was incredible. You may have heard of Turing, but believe me, there were many others of equal calibre, or even better – Alan Blumlein for example. I mention him only because my first boss in industry – who taught me more about circuit design in six months than a four year degree course had – had known him and his work before his unfortunate demise. If you haven’t worked in one of his fields, you’ve probably never heard of him, but his work was fundamental to many advances that we now take for granted.
So I was delighted to see several Charioteers mention that they hadn’t heard of Turing. Why should they? But they did their research, and now they know. Good for them!
How many of you are familiar with the work of Robin Glasscock?
Boadicea's Chariot 
I have!
You have what, please?
Glasscock? Not the man who invented pyrex dishes was he! (Remembering a schoolboy joke about the man who used pyrex to have a glass baby.) Thankyou Bearsy for a post which will lead me to do some small research. As a schoolboy I was shy in class but as I soared past 40 I was past caring and for the hell of it, would always put my hand up in meetings to ask the ‘dummy’ question, often knowing the answer, but facilitating further questioning from my fellow employees. It worked every time, though some bosses, and teachers, hated me for it! Good Post!
I have the name typed into google (Robin Glasscock,) – but I haven’t pressed the button, yet. I have an idea that he was the Post Ofice engineer who developed,(?) was responsible for, (?) the working computer used at Bletchfield by the Enigma team…? (And who destroyed it according to his instructions after the war because it was thought there would be no further use for it…) Pressing the button….Now!
A few years back on our holiday in South Africa we went on a Safari.
The truck we went out in daily had 10 visitors: two families of four and a couple. The lady of this couple repeatedly asked many, many questions, and initially I found it quite irritating, as she sometimes asked the most basic stuff.
However after getting to know her I really admired her. She was highly intelligent being a teacher of physics at a high level and an art grad (study in her own time) but had come on holiday knowing little about African wildlife. She had no inhibitions about allowing anyone to see her lack of knowledge, but an almost naive hunger for knowledge and an enthusiasm for learning.
I have found that knowing this lady has helped me not be embarrassed when I don’t know something and I will ask where before I would have kept quiet.
I remember a teacher saying once that if you are unsure there will be others who are unsure, but if no-one asks I will assume understanding.
I too have heard jokes about Glasscock but can’t remember, if I ever knew, who he was….
OK, apart from the fact that it was Bletchley, not Bletchfield, the guy I was thinking of was Tommy Flowers and the google references I find are to a distinguished geographer, so my answer is , who was he?
Wait, another guess – something to do with the Lyons tea shops chain system – the first computerised ERM system to be deployed?
Wrong again 😦
Ah, I didn’t read the responses while I was trying to find out – it was the geographer after all, and no wonder Boadicea knew 🙂
Interesting post though.
I’ve never heard of Robin Glasscock but having googled I can understand why Boadicea has!
I agree with you about the dangers of bullshitting. I worked in sales in a pretty technical environment, I learnt enough to understand the jargon, and the business but was always aware that I was talking to people who were much more knowledgeable. If I didn’t know the answers, I consulted my technical people back at the office.
I had vaguely heard of Robin Glasscock, but I confirmed what I thought by Google. The guy who designed and built Colossus, the first programmable electronic computer was Tommy Flowers of the PO Research Station. It was used to break the Lorenz code, not Enigma. As usual, British paranoia had it destroyed at the end of the war, and handed over the development of computers to the Yanks.
Some dedicated engineers have managed to build a working replica of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer#Reconstruction
There was a film called “Enigma” based very loosely on the life of Alan Turing. Exceedingly loosely, in fact, since his character had a girl friend in the film.
Indeed I did note them, Bearsy. Just adding a bit more info and trying to emphasise that, yet again, British industry was betrayed by the politicians. 🙂
Bearsy: I had no idea who he is, but he sounds like a really interesting character. I just bought one of his books (on ebay )” Historic Sites of Britain from the Air” a bargain at $40.
BTW entry number three on my Google search for Robin Glasscock lists the following
Intellectual Honesty – Boadicea’s Chariot
4 Hours ago
Google is sometimes really useful if one wishes to travel in intellectual circles.
🙂 LW
I’ve always asked a lot of questions, too many evidently, most seem to think they have been interrogated!
(According to spousal unit I should have been in the Gestapo!)
Hee Hee Mrs Osborne,
Reminds me of teh Only Fools n Horses scene when Uncle Albert declares he can speak a bit o’ German when they discover a lost kraut girl down the Nags Head.
“VOS EES YOUR NEM?” Timeless 🙂
LW, “Google is sometimes really useful if one wishes to travel in intellectual circles.”
🙂