One of my computers just got a new (to it) model type. I was somewhat amazed at what it downloaded. (I guess I haven't been paying attention before!) 81 MB for this, 31 MB for that, etc (hundreds of Megabytes). This made me think about how far we have come!

I joined CPDN in the BOINC early days (Sept 2004) running a 600MHz machine on dial up. What we don't even blink at now would have been days of downloading (and uploading) across the Atlantic Ocean no less! If I remember right the files were a humongous 1MB or so (and then only one or two).

I grew up using a slide rule and logarithm tables. I can't help but being amazed at the progress since my engineering degree in 1973. I kept up with technology (I worked in R&D), but I'm still amazed! And yes, I walked uphill both ways to school :)

My point? In just 5 years more science can be done by the average guy, than what could have been done 10 years earlier with scads of computers.