The Taylor Chapel and overflow were humming with the chatter of students all trying to find a seat to hear the University Forum given by President Kim B. Clark last Thursday.
President Clark was actually scheduled to speak at BYU-Idaho before he was called to be president.
He presented the idea of modularity in the computer world. He warned them during several parts that “if you are allergic to technical things, put your hand over your eyes.”
Modularity is the idea that one can take a complex system and break it down into parts that can be designed independently but work together, Clark said.
For example, in the 1960s, IBM dominated the computer world, providing the software, the components and processors.
Soon, they began to design a computer that could incorporate parts that were designed and created in many different areas, and then combined to create the final product.
This modular design allowed them to take advantage of new ideas and technology, without redesigning a whole new system.
Clark said this idea lead to an explosion of smaller, specialized companies. Where IBM once ruled, many other companies came about by exploiting this modularity of design, such as Microsoft, Intel and Dell.
Modularity is also the concept behind outsourcing: parts can be made cheaper in other parts of the world and then brought together.
While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a good example of modularity at work, Clark gave the example of the automobile industry as one that would not benefit from using modular ideas. And “definitely don’t modularize your family,” Clark said with a laugh.
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