Where are all the smart people?!

I know this is a bit off theme for this blog, but being here in Hue with little else to do but think... and the fact that this is MY blog, I figure it is okay for a little break from norm here.

I was talking to my compatriot here at the hotel this morning at breakfast.  He is a smart guy... he has a  PhD in forensic anthropology and I respect his opinion, both professionally and personally.  But, we were talking about technological advances in the past hundred years or so in relation to the past thousand years before that, even going as far as referring to just the last 30 years.  He was talking about having to teach students who don't remember a time before the CD, microwave, touch-dial phone, etc.  That got me to thinking about the most recent inventions and conveniences that are associated with communications and the internet in general.  The remarkable things that are being done in this field are mind-blowing.  This is especially so when I think about the people I know and how much they know about technology.  Sure, people know how to use a computer and smart phone (some of them, anyway); even how to use spreadsheets and there is even a select few who know a tad about databases.

What I want to know is where are those people who invent micro-circuitry and design the back end of websites.  The people who invent new wifi technology and work with bandwidths, IP addresses and technologies like TCP-IP?  And, that stuff is nothing when you consider the designers of stealth technology, lasers and biological identification techniques like iris and electronic fingerprinting; and other military super secret stuff that we don't even know about now. Even trying to put together a hardened  case for the IPAD or any other tablet PC is something way beyond my comprehension.

Then I think about the number of people, percentage-wise, who would have to be out in this world inventing these things to keep this massive industrial/commercial machine going.  I find myself thinking, especially in my very unique position of meeting smart people all of the time, that I should have met at least one nuclear physicist or super smart computer programmer or carbon fiber compound maker, or AT LEAST someone who is doing something really, really smart.  I find myself meeting only those people who may, or may not be, marginally smarter than myself.  This is not meant to be an offensive statement - and in fact, only those especially conceited and arrogant people would find this to be offensive.  These people I find myself meeting are often smart in the logical sort of way... people able to make smart manning or political decisions; even those who are good analysts.  But, where are the guys who invent really, really cool shit?  And, why don't we know their names?  I mean, really!  Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, but compare that to the guy that invented WiFi.  Or even Al Gore who invented the internet compared to internet banking.  I couldn't survive without internet banking.  WHO invented this stuff, and why don't we know their names?

After thinking about this for a while.  Considering I have NEVER, EVER met anyone who even comes close to inventing this stuff, it seems only logical that aliens are doing this stuff for us.  That's my story and I am sticking with it.