The Invisible Scaffolding: my ode to spreadsheets
I mentioned this idea during a recent all-hands meeting, and it’s been lingering in my mind ever since. I felt compelled to flesh out my thoughts—though this post is really just for fun.
In a powerful scene from Netflix's Painkiller series, Uzo Aduba’s character, Edie Flowers, delivers a striking line: “Spreadsheets are what keep the world from collapsing.” That line was so thought-provoking that I took a screenshot and made it the background image on my phone for several months.
Painkiller, Netflix
The series dives into the opioid crisis, exposing corporate greed, legal battles, and the devastation of countless lives. But that statement about spreadsheets? I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It felt like an unexpected insight and a fitting metaphor for modern life.
Spreadsheets—mundane as they may seem—are the unsung heroes. They’re the invisible scaffolding that supports industries, institutions, and even crisis response systems. Edie was right!
The Power of Data
In education and research, spreadsheets are the quiet workhorses that keep things running smoothly. They track grants, manage outputs, and organize vast amounts of data. Spreadsheets are indispensable tools for everything from structuring experimental designs to recording and analyzing results. They also play a crucial role in organizing student information, managing payroll, and overseeing budgets. Without them, the complex machinery of higher education would quickly crumble.
But higher education isn’t the only sector reliant on spreadsheets. During the pandemic, healthcare organizations and local health departments used spreadsheets to track resource allocation, manage and model critical data, and coordinate responses. Public health workers used spreadsheets to map hotspots, monitor infection rates, and ensure life-saving supplies were distributed efficiently. In crisis management, emergency planners rely on spreadsheets to track logistics and supplies, ensuring that aid reaches the right places at the right time.
Spreadsheets are not just silent helpers—they are the backbone of systems that function under pressure. They bring order to chaos by connecting distant points of data, revealing patterns, and providing clarity. They tie everything together, serving as maps, guides, scorecards, and project planners—helping us navigate everything around us.
Spreadsheets as Cognitive Scaffolding
What if we think of spreadsheets as more than just functional tools? What if they’re integral to how we think and structure our understanding of the world?
In cognitive science, there’s a concept known as "extended mind"—the idea that the mind isn’t confined to the brain but extends into the world through the tools we use. All of the external objects, such as sketchpads, notebooks, or PKM systems become part of our cognitive process. Spreadsheets are a perfect example of this. They help us organize our thoughts and actions, track our work, and manage the seemingly endless flow of data and other demands. They serve as scaffolding for our thought processes, allowing us to build ever more complex systems of knowledge.
While AI grabs our attention, spreadsheets remain the silent infrastructure working quietly behind the scenes. AI promises to transform industries, but spreadsheets have been doing the heavy lifting for decades—and they continue to be indispensable.
Reimagining Our Relationship with Knowledge
Our relationship with knowledge isn’t just about accumulating more information; it’s about how we shape, refine, and utilize that information. Spreadsheets are the invisible architecture behind the digital structures we design. They don’t just store data—they empower us to uncover meaningful insights, drive us toward action, and help shape our understanding. Spreadsheets don't just keep the world from collapsing—they give us the power to build it better.
