Summary of Key Points
This article begins with the current advancement of lunar exploration programs in China and the United States, avoiding the debate over the authenticity of the Apollo moon landings. It focuses on the question of why Apollo technology cannot be replicated today. By analyzing technical details such as the "embroidery software" used in the Apollo spacecraft, it illustrates how old technologies become unusable due to changes in cost and demand. The article then draws a comparison between the evolution of textile technology from its early roots in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to its transformation into a subject of humanities and folklore, highlighting the fragility of technological systems. Finally, it discusses the impact of technological changes in the AI era and emphasizes the importance of preserving industrial heritage, calling for the end of the traditional divide between arts and sciences—what is considered science and technology today could become part of history tomorrow, as both fields should complement each other.
1. Apollo's "Embroidery Software": Why Can't It Be Used Today?
The main control computer of the Apollo spacecraft, known as the AGC, sounded impressive but was actually much less powerful than even modern smartphones: it weighed 32 kilograms, had a clock speed of only 1 MHz (thousands of times slower than a smartphone CPU), and possessed just 72 kB of memory (one millionth of the memory in a smartphone's firmware). Even more striking is the fact that its software was created by female workers using needles to "embroider" machine code onto wire patterns, which were then inserted into magnetic cores—where a single mistake would render the entire board unusable. Each board had to be rechecked manually, earning it the joking nickname "old lady external storage."
Why isn't this technology used today? First, the cost was prohibitively high; such error-prone manual processes could not be mass-produced, and Murphy's Law ensured that errors would eventually occur. Second, the requirements for software have changed significantly; modern navigation systems must handle a wide range of unexpected situations (such as meteorite strikes or equipment failures), requiring much more complex code than what Apollo technology could accommodate. It's similar to how no one uses abacuses for calculations anymore—not because the abacus is inferior, but because our needs have evolved.
2. Textile Technology: From Early Programming Experts to Today's Folklore Studies
Surprisingly, ancient textile techniques were among the earliest forms of STEM! For example, "brocade weaving" involved using patterns as "programs" that weavers had to mentally "compile" before executing on the loom, similar to how programmers worked in those times. Ancient girls learning to weave were essentially mastering STEM skills; Liu Lanzhi's ability to weave five bolts of fabric in three days demonstrated her programming prowess.
Later, jacquard looms emerged, which used "pattern cards" (similar to ROM) to store complex weaving patterns, allowing ordinary people to create intricate designs with step-by-step instructions. This made weaving a repetitive task, freeing the girls from their role as programmers. Today, those ancient weaving techniques can only be found in folklore museums and are studied as part of humanities. The word "article" (meaning a piece of fabric) originally came from this context but has now become a term associated with liberal arts studies.
3. The Transition from Science to the Humanities: Examples Beyond Textile Technology
- Traditional Mathematics: Ancient Chinese methods for solving equations (such as the Tianyuan method) are no longer in use and can only be found in history books. Newton's calculus, although described using Leibniz's notation, is now also a subject of historical study.
- Nautical Technology: Zheng He's celestial navigation techniques and large sailing ship technologies have been completely lost. The Chinese People's Liberation Army's sail training ships use Western technology because no one in China knows how to operate the traditional methods anymore.
The conclusion is that once technology loses its practicality or becomes obsolete, it moves from the realm of science and engineering into the humanities. Just like telegraph operators and mimeograph operators from the past, their roles have become relics of history.
4. The AI Era: What Is Science and Technology Today May Become History Tomorrow?
With the rise of AI programming and intelligent systems, many technical skills are becoming obsolete. For example, writing Shell scripts or Basic code may be mastered by only a few people in another decade. Similarly, the mimeograph technology I learned as a child is now a thing of the past.
What should we do? First, we need to protect industrial heritage by consciously preserving technical knowledge and experience, so that future generations won't have to rely on archaeological discoveries to understand our technological achievements. Second, we must break down the traditional divide between arts and sciences. The new college entrance examination system, which reduces the emphasis on subject specialization, is a step in the right direction. Science and technology are tools for shaping the future, while humanities provide insights into the past; there is no hierarchy between them. The AI programming you learn today could become a museum exhibit tomorrow, but knowledge of the humanities will never go out of date.
Final Thought
Arts and sciences are not like East and West—they are two sides of the same coin. Without the past, there would be no future. Stop arguing about the division between them and focus on acquiring practical skills, whether in science and engineering or humanities. Any skill that can help solve problems is a valuable asset.