On 10 August 1628 Vasa, the most powerful warship in the Baltic was launched in Stockholm. As cheering crowds looked on, this huge ship, unbalanced by its ballast, capsized and sank to the bottom of the harbour, where it stayed until salvage in the 1960s. It now takes pride of place in the most visited museum in Sweden.

This photograph of the ship is also an historic object in its own right. It’s the oldest digital picture I own, taken on my first ever camera phone in December 2004. That’s why it’s so pixelated (left) and at its real size (right) is so incredibly small. At the time mobile phones with cameras were cutting edge – today you can film an entire movie on one.

So, just as an understanding of balanced ship design has moved on, so has the technology we carry in our pockets, just somewhat faster.