“Steve, this is your workbench now.” Those words from his father, Paul Jobs, were taken so seriously by the Apple co-founder that, for his eighth-grade science fair project, he submitted a project on the silicon-controlled rectifier. It was a little yet incredible hint at what would become of this boy, who grew up to bridge cutting-edge technology with intuitive human design. Although Apple was still eight years away, what 13-year-old Steve managed was no less commendable. He tinkered with a technology that itself was only 11 years old.
RR Auction is offering the project and other items from Apple’s history to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. The project, which is now 58 years old, features a 32.5-by-18-by-7.5-inch plywood panel, a 10-page report, a blue folder, and the words, “Submitted by Steve Jobs, Cupertino J.H., 8th Grade.” It’s truly remarkable how Jobs’s young mind worked. He explained the project to the judges and students using three explanatory panels, hand-drawn schematics, and two demonstration circuits designed to operate.
A wooden model illustrated the construction of a typical silicon-controlled rectifier. One circuit was intended to demonstrate the device’s basic characteristics, while the other showed possible applications, including motor-speed control and light dimming. The report included a diagram and an explanation of a typical 25-amp silicon-controlled rectifier.
It also came with a note for the judges that read, “Judges, if you wish to see this operate, please plug in Circuit II and oscilloscope and unplug, please unplug!, after using. The oscilloscope should already be set for two to four stationary cycles, but if necessary, judges, please make proper adjustments.”
The nearly three-foot-wide project will hit the auction block with an estimate of $20,000, bringing with it a piece of Steve Jobs’s early work, his mindset, his dedication, and the building blocks of one of the world’s greatest inventors. For years, the project remained in the possession of John Chovanec, Jobs’s stepbrother. Before that, it was kept in the garage of Jobs’s adoptive father, Paul Jobs, for decades. Steve himself had no interest in the project despite being coaxed by Chovanec and his mother, Marilyn. Ultimately, Chovanec preserved it in his own garage.
It goes without saying that while it looks like a simple middle-school homework, it could make for an utterly inspiring model for not only kids but also adults. Whether this will cross the million-dollar mark will be known soon. In the past, Apple’s first company check sold for roughly $2.41 million, against a $500,000 estimate. Even a wooden Apple-1 case estimated at $5,000 reached $254,375. At the time of writing, it had received 20 bids, with the current bid sitting at $8,500. Initial bidding for the auction closes on August 20, so there is still hope for the world’s most special silicon-controlled rectifier.
Update – Like with everything of Steve Jobs, even since 8th grade science project beat all expections and sold $34,375.
