This past hour of code, we went around to different schools trying to get students excited about coding. I figured the kids wouldn't quite understand why we program, or why it is a good profession to get into.

So, I said to the students, "If you had a magic button, what would it do? If it did whatever you wanted with the press of a button, what would your button do?"

• Some kids said that it would make food for them.
• Others said it would do their chores for them.
• Still others said it would create a lot of money for them.
• I suggested that they might want it to do their homework for them (that made them excited for sure).
• To the High School students I suggested some of the students would want to find the love of their life.

Then I told them that that computer in front of them has not just one button, but many buttons and that they can use those buttons to do these very things. If it be a robot that cooks, an app, or a dating website, these things can be created with a computer.

I could see that lightbulbs went off.

Now I am asking this question here for educational purposes.

If you had a magic button, what would it do?

It would pause time for everyone but myself and anyone in physical contact with me, and while paused ageing would have no relevance for those that aren't paused.

Completely implausible but cool. Think of the good and evil you could do with it...

it would do magic!

It would magically give me computer knowledge to the level of being able to re-create a computer given enough resources and time (From scratch).

Open portals to other habitable planets in the galaxy. Portals close only after everybody has returned through the portal.

A more realistic button would summon a self driving car to take me wherever I want.

Open portals to other habitable planets in the galaxy. Portals close only after everybody has returned through the portal.

I wanted to write it would allow me to observe from any point in universe, but you have obviously proved I have no IQ, while I would be banging my head towards the screen for the wish I have made sooner or later...

I wanted to write it would allow me to observe from any point in universe, but you have obviously proved I have no IQ, while I would be banging my head towards the screen for the wish I have made sooner or later...

That would be pretty cool actually. You could observe any point on earth, you could see many of the far reaches of space not anywhere near a habitable planet, you could even observe the center of a black hole.

I guess this is where I write the obligatory "allow me to make my own arbitrary magic buttons" post.

• I suggested that they might want it to do their homework for them (that made them excited for sure).

I learned programming because I wanted to make games, but games are not practical (they are fun). My first practical programming project was one that did the homework for me. Obviously it was all text-based, not an OCR-enabled-with-AI-and-robotic-arms-that-pencil-my-homework-for-me type of project, but nonetheless, it took me 10-15 minutes to write the code, and another 2-5 to input all the questions and get the answers back.

• I suggested that they might want it to do their homework for them (that made them excited for sure).

I learned programming because I wanted to make games, but games are not practical (they are fun). My first practical programming project was one that did the homework for me. Obviously it was all text-based, not an OCR-enabled-with-AI-and-robotic-arms-that-pencil-my-homework-for-me type of project, but nonetheless, it took me 10-15 minutes to write the code, and another 2-5 to input all the questions and get the answers back.

Haha I'm glad I'm not the only one who did this to maths homework. "show your working"? I guess they thought computers can't do that... :lol: