Basic Bits — The First Step towards Mastery

Everything around us is a result of someone’s creativity. As Genesis 1:1-2 states, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep." This biblical passage underscores the profound truth that nothing exists without an act of creation.

Every day, I strive to understand why these things exist and how they came to be. This curiosity is a true way to understand the world we live in, enabling us to make our own contributions, no matter how small they may be.

I live by a rule, we can never go wrong with the basic bits (fundamentals). They make the abstractions above them simpler to reason about because we have answers to some critical fundamental questions. Some of us studied computer science or related fields in school, and some were fortunate to grow up in environments that promote individual thinking and curiosity beyond just getting good grades. However, in the traditional school I went to, they taught us how to study but not really how to think (totally subjective) and question things. Developing this mindset yourself is essential, as this style of teaching makes innovation hard. For instance, back in school, I learned about radio waves in one of my physics classes. While a few lecturers provided contextual narratives about the applications and importance of the topics they taught, most simply just dive(LOL), into mathematical formulas filled with derivatives, an approach that still feels unreasonable to me to this day. But here I am, revisiting the same topic, now well-informed about why I need this knowledge. As I revisit these fundamentals to satisfy my own curiosity and document my insights, I invite you to join me on this journey. Perhaps this will help you think differently and appreciate your physics, computer science & maths classes this time. This exploration might lead you to a newfound appreciation for these subjects, viewing them through a fresh lens of understanding and relevance in relation to your current interest.

Often times, things that we think are hard are hard because we are unable to make sense of them. We might know that something works, but not how it works or why it works. Sometimes we need to strive deeper and take the more challenging route (by learning things the hard-way) to truly understand these things. I believe that tackling difficult tasks without feeling overwhelmed strengthens one ability to solve future problems, and my experience has proven this to be true. Learning can be hard, but it becomes enjoyable when we know what we are doing.

Here, let's draw some relations:

• Many technologies today, such as networking, satellite technology, mobile technology, and Wi-Fi, would not have been possible without the discovery of radio waves. Thanks to Heinrich Hertz for proving the existence of these waves.
• The fundamental principles of computer science, like algorithms and data structures, fostered the software applications we use daily, from web browsers to mobile apps.
• The study of electricity and magnetism, pioneered by Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell, laid the groundwork for the development of electric motors, generators, and transformers, essential components in our power systems.
• The understanding of DNA's structure, thanks to James Watson and Francis Crick, revolutionized biology and medicine, leading to advancements in genetic engineering and personalized medicine.
• The mathematical foundations laid by Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz through calculus have been critical in physics, engineering, economics, and beyond, enabling us to model and solve complex problems, more reason why we shouldn’t skip that math class.
• Database query optimization, advanced by researchers like Patricia Selinger, relies on calculus-derived methods to improve the performance of complex database queries.

The list goes on...

By understanding these fundamentals, we can appreciate the complex systems built upon them and contribute to future innovations. It’s okay to not know everything, to be an amateur again, and to ask questions. What is not okay is neglecting the basic bits. Embracing the fundamentals is crucial because they pave the way for a better understanding of the world we live in. Fundamentals allow us to see things differently, and everything above it that seems hard starts to make sense.

In the past year, I have been working on understanding the principles and basic bits behind some of the most innovative projects in computing systems, from distributed object storage and distributed databases to protocols and storage engines. This journey has led to a deeper realization of the importance of both low-level and high-level primitives towards making a true impact. Inspired by this realization and my relentless curiosity, I decided to further my education by enrolling in the MSc program at Georgia Tech, an institution renowned for its rigorous approach to core principles in technology and engineering. This decision wasn't just about gaining an advanced degree, it was about immersing myself in an environment where I could dive deep into the fundamentals that drive today's technological innovations and to build that strong foundation I now understand is crucial for true innovation and problem-solving in our rapidly evolving tech landscape.

As Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." This reminds me that the journey to mastery is a marathon, not a sprint. It's essential to embrace the process, celebrate our progress, and be prepared to revisit the fundamentals as we continue to deepen our understanding.