Simply...amazing.

We recently took a road trip to Milwaukee and back, visiting my brother and his wife, and giving our two big dogs a chance for some fun on the lakeshore. And I had some thoughts on the long drive.

We're traveling in a 2.3 liter (140 cubic inch) 6-passenger "microvan" that's cruising along with interstate traffic between 75-80 mph. With a cargo of two humans and a couple of 100-lb dogs, it's capable of 26-28 mpg at these speeds, 30-32 mpg if speed is reduced to 60-65 mph. Should the opportunity present itself or be required, it's fully capable of operating above 100 mph for extended periods, with probably 120-125 mph as a maximum. On just it's small, 4-cylinder engine.

At the moment, it's being kept to a particular speed, 78 mph let's say, by its "cruise control" function, a set of sensors that monitor speed, engine loading, and other factors, and one or more microprocessors (computers) that make sense of these inputs and regulate the engine so that it maintains that speed. A tap on the brakes turns it off; I can tap the controls to increase the desired speed up a mile-per-hour, or down one.

Elsewhere: another set of computers is controlling the engine's operation. Sensors are providing feedback about exhaust gas temperature, water temperature, fuel mixture, exhaust gas composition, throttle position and movement, and other factors to a set of microprocessors that control when the spark plugs fire, when the fuel injectors open and close to provide the right power for this combination of factors. Subject to change in the next split second.

Still more: I'm not using the brakes at the moment. But they, too, have sensors that will monitor brake application and wheel rotation, sending signals to a microprocessor that can interrupt or limit braking force to a wheel that's stopped rotating, or skidding: anti-lock brakes. In slippery conditions, these sensors also feed into the engine controls and interrupt or limit power when a wheel is spinning more than vehicle speed would indicate: traction control. Combined with these, other sensors detect sudden or unacceptable pitch or yaw motions, and feed other microprocessors this information to enable control of brakes or power to assist getting the vehicle back under control: vehicle stability control.

That's not all.

On the console is a small, half-pound device made of glass and alloy. Inside it are more microprocessors and circuitry that are doing some amazing things. For instance, I'm listening to a radio station, and I have a choice of hundreds all around the country because I'm using a "streaming audio" capability. As we drive along, this device is connecting and re-connecting to service antennas over and over again, maintaining a broadband/data connection to allow the radio audio to be transmitted into this device and amplified through the vehicle's sound system.

While we're listening to the radio station, this device is also helping us with directions. It's displaying a moving map of where we are at the moment, what is our next turn and when/where will we need to do so, along with when we should arrive at our destination. It contains maps for the entire country, and is communicating with 3 or more orbiting satellites to receive GPS data for our location as we drive along, and intrepret this data into our speed, direction, and location.

Should someone want to reach us, it can receive their phone call and let us talk to whomever. We can hold this device up, take a photo, and include it in a message to someone, or post it onto a social networking site to share with all our friends. If we tire of the radio station, we can choose another one, or pick from hundreds of songs we may have stored on it and listen to that instead. If we're tired of watching the map, we can have it play a stored TV show or movie for us; well, safely, only for the passengers :-). Or, play a game, solve a puzzle, or read a book whose pages are stored inside it.

All this...is magic. It really is. None of this capability existed when I was born. So many things we use routinely now are so...smart, I guess. So capable, anyway. And so accessible to so many of us. I found it...well, amazing.