“At the core of what is human is the capacity to build.”
Swift take: When my son was handed his first Lego set, I tried explaining to him what a “toy” was. He was very confused, because he didn’t understand how Lego fit into my narrow definition of a toy as something that serves no purpose other than entertainment. You can’t wear it, it doesn’t provide shelter, you can’t eat it, so, it must be a toy. Then, he schooled me! “But, daddy, I can build so many things with it.” And I thought about it, maybe he was right – to say the Lego is just a toy does it a disservice. To whit, this fascinating “brickumentary” seems to take my son’s side on the debate. As I watched the trailer, I was inspired by how this capacity to build has actually helped . . . ‘connect’ our little planet.
I am very excited to see how this film will capture the legions of fans of the toy as well as the scientific community that embraces the creative aspects that seem to have shaped our modern landscape. As Star Trek and Star Wars inspired engineers to dare to create incredible technology, it will be fascinating to learn how these little bricks have honed our daily lives – in many ways we may not even be aware of.
And, for the record, as I watch my son “play” with his Lego sets, I often wonder, what magnificent thing will he build for future generations?
