Woz: It's All About the Science

by , 2:10 PM EDT, May 21st, 2007

At the Maker Faire on Saturday, Steve Wozniak talked about how learning about math and electronics helped overcome his shyness and gave him something to talk about with his friends, according to a story at C|Net.

The "Woz" came out on stage on his Segway and thrilled the technical crowd with stories of his childhood and enchantment with engineering. "This whole fair represents something that was so prominent when I was young," Wozniak began. "Sit down and make something fun."

Charged with energy, Woz told the crowd about the sense of wonder and excitement from learning how to manipulate a machine. "Those inspirations, when you get a goal," he said, "it's going to carry with you for the rest of your life."

As with many youngsters mesmerized by science and math, Mr. Wozniak wasn't part of the "in-crowd." But he found friends of similar interests, and they pursued their interest in electronics. Eventually, the knowledge he gained helped him overcome his shyness. "For me, if I could design things and show them to people, I had something I could talk about," he said. "You always feel good about the things you're good at."

Eventually, that curiosity and knowledge of electronics led Mr. Wozniak to be a co-founder of Apple, build the first commercially successful personal computer, and become wealthy. Even so, Mr. Wozniak has become legendary for his inspirational stories and giving back to the community that he essentially created.