Our new offices

Photo: AP/Petar Petrov

1. [Scuba SM]

   You seem to be missing the obligatory enormous red button.

2. [zuzu]

   Command-and-control centralized management of the power grid (replete in 1970s design and style) is a shining example of how decrepit and brittle one of the most important national infrastructures really is.

   Bring on an Internet-like end-to-end architecture of the smart grid and distributed generation!

3. [Palilay]

   I used to work for an at-home based ISP in the mid 90′s, and we used to get at least one call a day from kids wanting an internship who were totally convinced that this photo is what our “offices” looked like. Most were shocked to learn it was three guys in a room with about 4 PC’s and another room full of modems and another PC.

4. [Clay]

   Zuzu, are you in Bulgaria?

5. [Clay]

   Actually, I would encourage everyone to follow the link: The photo collection is quite a striking one, capturing, among other things, some all-too-rare glimpses of the diversity of origins of our stuff. Fascinating.

6. [Camillo Miller]

   Love those switches!!!

7. [ROSSINDETROIT]

   I know a little bit about the power grid. For a few years I worked for Detroit Edison. I helped maintain the mainframe computer system that tracked and prioritized power outages. Every ten minutes the system took a look at the phone numbers of the people who called in to report their power was out. It applied the phone data to the customer address list and derived from a virtual model of the distribution system a very accurate guess at what equipment failure(s) had caused those people to call. It then added up the total of households, hospitals, police stations, etc. that would be affected by such a failure and prioritized the repair accordingly. This system was the most ingenious machine that I have ever come across. I suspect that the people who developed and expanded it are of a sort of genius that I will never be.
   Unfortunately the central control of the power grid requires genius of that sort all over it or it can’t work. Not a robust solution if it relies on the highest level performance from any component (human) just to perform adequately.

8. [PaulR]

   For some reason, I want to go watch Koyaanisqatsi now…

   Good find, Rob. Thanks.

9. [technogeek]

   I must be getting old — my initial reaction of “WANT!” (I don’t care what it’s hooked to, I just love the old 1970-vintage control-panel aesthetic) is being tempered by “… I could build it, but I don’t have space for it.” I guess I need the building first.

10. [killdeer]

    If only it was red or blue it would look perfectly at home deep inside a base in Team Fortress 2.

11. [airship]

    Needs some Atomic Duct Tape (TM).

12. [mastercontroller]

    Needs more China Syndrome.

13. [The Unusual Suspect]

    .
    .
    > DO YOU WANT TO PLAY A GAME ?
    _

14. [carriem]

    hahahahahaha

    oh man, this is where i WORK!

    >sneaks glance over shoulder<

    scamming a few minutes at bbgadgets to get away from the daily grind and I find a pic of my freaking Control Room.

    nice one, Rob. what a head trip.

15. [RedShirt77]

    This is what, a nuclear power plant. All analog switches and decals with lights in them.

    part of me is like K.I.S.S. and the other part of me thinks we are all onr bulb failure away from doom.

    how about one nice plasma screen, just to make me feel like there is some technology in there younger then me.