Simon Fraser University — Why this major essay

Simon Fraser University — Why this major essay

I've been interested in technology since my childhood. How electronic devices work interested me, and I was curious about what is inside them. However, my parents prohibited me from opening them and were worried that I could get electrocuted and die. Anyway, I opened them, hiding from my parents. Although I didn't know much about electronic components, they were intriguing.

One day, my dad installed a new lamp in the hall. It has a remote control(RC) that enables users to control it remotely. Naturally, I couldn't resist my curiosity. I wondered what was inside the remote control that turned off/on the light from a distance. How can this be possible if there is no cable at all? No way, I opened it. There was a tiny black microchip with eight inputs/outputs. My curiosity goes beyond that. What's inside this black chip that can control the light? It is how I became interested in physics.

When we press a button on the RC, the microchip omits a decoded signal to a transistor that intensifies that signal spreading through the antenna. But stop! How is the signal generated? What is inside the chip that turns on/off electricity, resulting in the movement? What makes the chip create such logic waves? It is how I'm interested in Computer Science.

Next, I asked myself if I could build my own remote light from scratch or turn a regular light into a remote one? These are what goes on in a 14-year-old kid's mind. After some research, I learned I cannot make a chip from scratch because I need specific knowledge and tools. However, I can make a RC for a light using ready boards.

One day, a switcher of one of our classroom's lights broke down. The first thought was that what if I make it remote. As soon as I got home, I took the circuit of the remote car and attached it with batteries and one relay since the voltage was 220V. The next day, early morning, I went to school. There was a guard and to enter, I told him the teacher had punished me, and I had to clean the room before students came. He believed, and I lied. I went to the class and turned the electricity off from the main switcher before installing my genius device. My mouth was holding a torch, and I was opening the switcher. I felt like a robber who is stealing the bank. Easy, It is just a 14-year-old boy who applies his theories to real life regardless of risks. Done! The switcher was successfully installed, and I checked it. Wow! It worked like magic. I was thrilled because it was the first time, and I might be the first student who did this crazy work at school, taking such a big risk.

The confidence I gained from this experience still encourages me to take risks to explore the world and new inventions. When I want to create something amazing, I can't help myself.