By William Van Zyl. Published in January 2022.

Which invention changed the world? The answer to that question will surprise you. Close to the beginning, it was the invention of fire – in primeval times. Fire transformed people’s lives. Have you seen the movie ‘Quest for Fire?’ The film portrays the invention and keeping alive the flame day and night. It also includes the fight for the precious commodity. But there is something tiny, minutely small; in fact, that wee little thing transformed our world over the past 20 to 30 years. What could it be? Do you have any idea?

*The original movie poster. Quest for Fire. Credit: https://picclick.co.uk/QUEST-FOR-FIRE-Movie-POSTER-27×40-Everett-McGill-291944076130.html*

The single most important thing that changed the world was the invention of the transistor. Excuse me, a small electronic component made from silicone? Yes, that’s right. A grain of sand from Silicon Valley in the US – sliced into thin layers can switch millions and billions of times a second. Did you say per second? Yes, I did. Smartphones and computers have these chips in them. Have you seen the sticker INTEL on a new computer? That’s it. The microprocessor – a small square black coloured component – is used for interpreting binary code. Yes, binary means it can only do a ‘0’ or a ‘1.’ It is minimal. Yes, you are correct – so simple. Very limited indeed. But, it powers our smartphones and computers, making calculations and decisions billions of times a second. We marvel at the power of the devices in the palm of our hands and on our desks. Magnificent technology!

Timeline – History: 2002 – Pentel Pentium 4 processor (microprocessor – the small black coloured flat wafer type chip in your phone or computer) became a breakthrough in computer technology back then. Note, I give you the data for 2002, not 2022. About 22 years earlier. I do it to get your attention. This technology allows desktop computers – in 2002 – to cycle 2.2 billion times per second. It was produced using Intel’s 0.13-micron process technology and contains 55 million transistors. Impressive for 2002! Well done, Intel! Next time you see that sticker on your computer – Intel Pentium – think about the speed of the small microprocessors located under your fingers on the keyboard – it sits in the belly of your laptop. They work hard for you. The Master’s handy work, calculating bilions of times a second, as you hit those keys are hidden from your sight. Silicone chips – wafer thin – calculating and making decisions second after second. Billions of times per second. Stunningly beautiful design by scientists!

2 x Microprocessors in a computer or mobile phone system. The 2 x large black wafer chips – rectangular in shape – is able to make enormous amounts of calculations in under a second, using binary code.

This question from nowhere will stun you.

Someone asked the question:

“If we all pray together at once and every person asked for something different, how can God (Yahweh – of the Bible) listen and remember everything. And, how on earth will He be able to record everything we say and do. How will He be able to recall it up at the Great Judgement? It is simply not possible!”

What a clever question.

I think that is a fair question with a statement to the Almighty. However, just wait for a second – if God created the silicon chip which was discovered only a couple of decades ago, indeed He could have sophisticated system in place that exceeds the limited computer systems of our time. We marvel at the speed they are operating at! Right?

And there you have the answer to the question. If He created the universe – and the simple silicone crystal – He can record every word and every action of every person who walked the earth in the past or will walk in the future. In fact, if a silicon chip – which He had created – can do billions of switches or calculations per second – limited to 1 and 0 (binary code), surely then when we look at the universe and us humans, He can record everything with His ‘systems’ which are unknown to us. His glory is revealed in a grain of sand – silicon sand. I would like to mention quantum physics here – the next human challenge. The potential is enormous for us. It can do amazing things! Well, if God had hidden these ‘simple’ fantastic things to us – so we can discover them – can you imagine what unknown glory (scientific powers and abilities) He has hidden somewhere or maybe it is right here where we live – around us – and we don’t even know it.

Knowing His greatness, I have the complete confidence to pray, communicate, and fashion my life according to His Word and His Laws. He sees, He listens, and He records.

1 John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

1 Peter 3:12 – “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Assorted discrete transistors. Packages in order from top to bottom: TO-3, TO-126, TO-92, SOT-23. Credit: By Mister rf at English Wikipedia – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11885148 **Definition:** A transistor is a semiconductor device that amplifies or switches electrical signals and power. The transistor is one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics. It is composed of semiconductor material, usually with at least three terminals for connection to an electronic circuit.

The old vacuum tubes – the first transistors. Before the discovery of silicon crystals.

*The evolution of triode vacuum tubes from a 1916 model (left) to one from the 1960s. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia user RJB1.)*

See this great video – behind it is the Master’s mighty hand. He hid the crystal from man so that at the opportune time we would discover it and use it to our benefit.

Video for your entertainment. The invention of the transistor and how it works.https://youtu.be/IcrBqCFLHIY
Video for your entertainment. The invention of the transistor and how it works.

This is the end of the article. However, if you find it interesting, I will make one more comment and include a link to an outstanding video on Binary Code.

If you want to see how binary code works in a computer – it works very hard – like a slave – view this outstanding video below. It explains in straightforward terms, step by step, how a computer uses binary code. Thank goodness my brain doesn’t have to work that hard every second of the day.

Here is an enlightening thought: ‘If 59.5% of the world’s population (about 4.8 billion of 8 billion) switch on their computers simultaneously. It is estimated that 59.5% of the world’s population has access to computers (as of January 2021). Imagine they all have 16-bit computers (with the newest Intel Pentium processors). How many calculations (switching) are the 3.2 billion computers doing collectively in one second?’ It would be a staggering number! Estimated ANSWER (allowing 150 billion switches/calculations per computer x 4.8 billion computers – per second): 7,200,000,000,000,000,000,000 switches per second. I hope I got it right. The final number has about 20 zeros.