Chips and Salsa Changed the World

Chips and salsa are really good (I can't eat too much or I get cankers though). "Chips and Salsa" is the slang term for "Hardware and Software". We should all eat some in honor of Robert Noyce's 84th birthday (as you may have seen on Google's daily doodle). I love learning about people like this. I started a club back in 2007 at BYU called the Heroes of History Club. Its purpose was to learn more about people who had had an incredible impact on this world. We specifically loved highlighting the people who were often unsung heroes. I believe this is a man who would qualify. Noyce was the inventor (or co-inventor) or the microchip. Basically, because of his invention, technology is what it is today. He also co-founded Intel--what makes (almost) every computer work in the world--and has been known as the "Mayor of Silicon Valley" because of his influence. I think it is amazing to think about.

In the Heroes of History club, we would often find people who had changed the world in many ways, and then look at who their role models were - the heroes of the heroes. For example, George Washington was very influenced by the writings of Montesquieu. Have you ever heard of him? Most hadn't. C.S. Lewis was deeply influenced and inspired by George MacDonald's writings. Who is George MacDonald? Steve Jobs was very influenced and inspired by Robert Noyce. Here they are together:

Steve said of Noyce:

"Bob Noyce took me under his wing,...I was young, in my twenties. He was in his early fifties. He tried to give me the lay of the land, give me a perspective that I could only partially understand - You can't really understand what is going on now unless you understand what came before."

I find this really interesting and love to figure out what makes people tick, and more specifically, the type of person who make very influential people tick. Understanding more about people who made a huge impact on the world makes me excited to do my best in my life. To be a more creative, driven and hard working individual who is always looking to see how I may improve and push myself. I'll be honest, I need it. I just got promoted at my job again (December is a good time to get promoted) and it's the real deal now - time to push myself more than I ever have before.

Props to Bob, chips and salsa tonight at my place.