The Return of the Slide Rule

As we move toward a deindustrialized future we will presumably revert to old ways of solving problems.

In my career in the process and energy industries, the march toward increased computerization and miniaturization has been relentless. First it was calculators, then came mainframe computers, followed by minicomputers, which were themselves followed by PCs and handheld devices. Now we are looking at the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) and expert systems on the process industries. (Some initial thoughts on this topic are provided at the posts The Circularity of ChatGPT in Process Safety and The Real Challenge for AI and PSM.)

Most of us take it for granted that advances in computing power, with the inexorable replacement of people, will continue indefinitely. But will it?

The manufacture of computers consumes immense resources ― particularly of rare and specialized minerals. And the data centers needed for the internet and AI use equally immense quantities of energy.

In an Age of Limits the availability of these resources and energy will decline, possibly quite rapidly. In which case it makes sense for engineers to learn how to use their slide rules.