Lego Brick Turns 50!
Saturday, February 2nd, 2008It was with much interest this week I noted that the LEGO brick turned 50 years on Jan 28. The enduring nature of this toy is clearly visible to me everyday as a parent of two young children. It also demonstrates one of the guiding philosophies I hold vis a vis learning; namely that by “constructing” models and sharing them with others can help deepen the learning experience. Based on Piaget’s ‘genetic epistemology’, this is the philosophy of ‘constructionism’ developed by Seymour Papert at MIT’s Media Lab, out of which sprung the more recent LEGO MindStorms product (MindStorms was the title of Papert’s book).
For me, the elegance of the design of the LEGO brick lies in its simplicity and its potential for enjoyable play. Founded by Ole Kirk Christansen in Denmark in 1932, the origins of the name LEGO come from the Danish words “LEg” and “GOdt” (”play well”). The LEGO brick demonstrates the essence of good design in that it offers almost limitless possibilities for its use. (This is in the same way the spreadsheet “cell” has fundamentally altered the way people can use, manipulate and visualize data). I even recall the that level design in Metal Gear Solid 2 was assisted though the construction of LEGO levels!
In 1949 the first LEGO brick prototype was developed, and in January of 1958 the design we know today - a brick with a series of interlocking tubes - was introduced. The brick has remained relevant through franshises such as Bionicle, Technic, MindStorms plus it even has its own videogame franchise! The enduring and successful nature of the brick - already voted Toy of the Century - continues to make it a favortite choice of the young and the young at heart.
Links
50th Birthday of the LEGO Brick: http://parents.lego.com/Features/50th%20Birthday.aspx
