New Phaistos

Philosophy and System Design Are Linked Any reader of New Phaistos will have seen firsthand the interaction between philosophy and system engineering. While they may seem like completely different fields at first glance, they share a fundamental connection. When designing a system, one must establish foundational principles and reflect on key questions: What is the system trying to achieve? What is it optimizing for? And, perhaps most importantly, what trade-offs are acceptable? One particular intersection of philosophy and system design that I’d like to discuss is the concept of freedom—specifically, the freedom a system grants to its users. Some systems are centralized and meticulously planned to optimize outcomes for the collective good. Others are decentralized, granting individuals greater autonomy but often at the cost of inefficiencies, inequalities, or even sub-optimal collective results. The approach a designer chooses is influenced not only by technical considerations but al...

Identity is the Enzyme of Collaboration Identity is a crucial force in both the workplace and everyday life. It shapes how we interact, collaborate, and even compete. A classic example is the often comical tension between marketing and engineering teams, where the different perspectives of what a product is (excellence of technology vs customer pleasing machine) often clash. The "us vs. them" mindset and the tendency to rally around our own group can be powerful motivators, but they also raise an important question: how do we define "our side" in the first place? Identifying with a group c an be incredibly empowering. It enables cooperation among strangers based on shared values and common ground. This is why nationalism, professional identity, and social belonging can drive people to achieve remarkable things together. However, identity can also be a trap. It can make us blind to alternative viewpoints, resistant to change, and stuck in rigid ways of thinking. Iden...

The buildings we admire The Parthenon in Athens, the Notre Dame in Paris and the Charles Bridge in Prague - what do they have in common? They are all buildings we admire and travel to see and take pictures; but also, were made in a totally different time.  For centuries, architecture was about more than just utility. It was about beauty. Beauty was seen as a virtue, something to strive for—whether in the grand temples of Ancient Greece, the towering cathedrals of medieval Europe, or the intricate bridges that connected cities. These structures weren’t just places to live, work, or pray. They were statements. They reflected the values, ambitions, and even the power of the cultures and rulers who commissioned them. Building for a reason Today, our approach to architecture has changed dramatically. We no longer build just for beauty—we build for a purpose. Modern buildings are shaped by function first and foremost. Efficiency, cost, and utility drive the design process. After all, a b...

Telecommunications goes cellular In the last post, we discussed the dawn of telecommunications . Closely connected to war and later becoming state-owned, the industry had just benefited from the latest technical developments and was ready to shake things up again. Up until that point, telecommunications relied on static node placement. If you needed to call your business contacts, you had to reach a landline phone; either at an office or a payphone. But agile American entrepreneurs, often traveling, were hungry for instantaneous mobile communication — and the market delivered. To address the consumer need for mobility it was necessary to think bold. A single antenna that covers a lot of ground would need toο much power and would be able to service only a limited amount of people simultaneously. The range would also be limited and any big obstacle like a building or a hill would weaken the signal. Motorola engineers in 80's Chicago innovated their way out of the problem and instead...

Disclaimer! The normal posting sequence will have to be disrupted due to the barrage of high profile safety incidents. Perhaps what comes to mind is the Potomac river crash , but unfortunately I have examples that strike closer to (my) home: the Tempi disaster (February 2023) and the Novi Sad station collapse (November 2024). While these disasters are not exactly fresh news, they have both resulted in strong anti-corruption movements in their countries. The deaths of the (mostly young) people should not have happened and everybody feels like they could have been the victims or their parents. This post is dedicated to the memory of the victims and outlining how systems are made safe. (from the next post, the normal posting sequence will be followed) What even is the meaning of "safety"? Let's take it easy at first: by safety we mean the property of a system to not risk the integrity of human life when used in its intended setting and environment. Sounds simple - But how...