The reading “Her Code Got Humans on the Moon—And Invented Software Itself” delves into the life of Margaret Hamilton and how she invented software at a time when women were not seen in this type of field. Reflecting back, I was quite surprised how Robert McMillan, a male writer, wrote this pro-feminist reading. If a female wrote this, there might have been a suspicion of biasness. I particularly remember when McMillan mentions how Hamilton often brought her daughter Lauren to work. This made my appreciation for Hamilton increase tenfold since women were already seen less in the workplace, let alone women who were also mothers. One part that slightly annoyed me was when they weren’t listening to Hamilton’s advice on what to do with the error in the program. I believe there may have been misogynistic behavior in play here as they didn’t want to believe a woman would point out their mistakes. This reading also made me contemplate how I used to focus only on the end result and not on the painstaking process that brought the result. I used to focus on how the first man landed on the moon and not who was the reason he was able to land on the moon. I now question several incidents where I only knew the end result, like the discovery of gravity, the creation of vaccines, and several other phenomena where the creators were not credited.
The reading “Attractive Things Work Better” delves into the role our emotions play in our cognitive function and problem-solving abilities. It argues how humans are able to use machines and other systems more accurately if they are attractive to the eye. While I believe something attractive certainly creates a better mood which enables people to solve things more easily, I don’t believe that this works in every scenario. For instance, they probably failed to take into account that some people may already be in a bad mood or a good mood before using the machines. They could also already be accustomed to the machines or just using them for the first time. Similarly, certain gadgets like mobile phones will probably not impact someone’s mood in itself, but rather only from the content displayed on their screens. I remember this reading particularly talked about the Mini Cooper which is a popular car and they associated it with putting people in a good mood. However, it failed to take into account that while this car may look appealing to some, it may not be for others as everyone has different tastes. As a result, several factors are in play here rather than just the aesthetic appeal of the devices and gadgets.
These readings delve into the discovery of systems or thoughts that would change the way we view the world. Hamilton discovered software engineering and was the reason humans were able to land on the moon. Similarly, Masaaki Kurosu and Kaori Kashimura discovered the impact of emotions on functionality. Both these readings also reveal how there is always going to be someone who doesn’t believe in your theory. You just have to prove them wrong.