We should constantly be looking to reinvent the wheel

“Why reinvent the wheel?”

Whenever I hear this question (which is a lot), my response is always the same:

“My wheel will be better.”

“Why reinvent the wheel?” asks us to to accept work that has been already done as ideal. It implies that the products of the past are highly effective for our current needs. It insists that time spent on something already completed is a waste of time.

I rarely find any of this to be the case.

As if to drive home this point, researchers at MIT have literally reinvented the wheel, and it’s a hell of a lot better than anything that’s come before it.

It’s amazing.

Why reinvent the wheel?

Because we should always believe that we can do better.

Add this to my job list. Not this.

Last week I wrote about the many career aspirations that I have when I finally decide to retire from teaching (which isn’t anytime soon).

It’s recently come to my attention that Massachusetts's Institute of Technology’s Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation now issues pirate certificates to students who complete the requirements. In order to earn a pirate certificate, a student must pass four physical education courses (pistol use, archery, sailing, and fencing) and take a secret oath.

With this newfound information , I’d like to add “Pirate” to my list of career aspirations.

Here’s one I will never add to the list: