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I thought the same thing as a child. Recently I realized that programming and making apps is like being an inventor. When I make applications for other people to use, is that not akin to making some kind of new machine or tool?

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No, because the lynchpin of these physical technologies we need are going to be just that, physical. No amount of neural networking or cryptocurrency mining is going to be anything other than peripheral to the advancements based on basic research in physical science.

If the solution to carbon capture comes from a company like Deepmind (ala protein folding), i'll eat my shoe.

I don't really see it the same way. I mean, as an independent project, maybe. Most of us are basically told what to build and largely how to build it too. Someone else invented it and we just build it - we're basically factory workers.

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