User:Natasa Siencnik/notes/bush/

Abstract

Vannevar Bush: As We May Think. In: The Atlantic Monthly. July 1945.[1]

With his article As We May Think, published in 1945, Vannevar Bush is forecasting technical innovations and potentials of future media as is the personal computer and hypertext. Among other things he states, the Encyclopedia Britannica could be reduced to the volume of a matchbox, which has been achieved with the emergence of Wikipedia and moreover is not only stored as a record but also can be consulted unlimited. Storage should be organized by association rather than filed alphabetically or numerically and therefore create a new net of knowledge. A visionary of his time whose ideas have already been put into practice.

Key Points

1 –

Of what lasting benefit has been man's use of science?
increased control of mankind's material environment
progressive freedom from disease and increasing span of life
provided the swiftest communication between individuals
specialization becomes increasingly necessary for progress
effort to bridge between disciplines is superficial
signs of a change as powerful instrumentalities come into use
machines can nowadays be constructed with little effort

2 –

improvements in recording techniques
example > future dry photography with immediate outcome
example > microphotography that reduces size by full resolution
microfilms are cheaper in production and easier in distribution

3 –

author of the future may directly produce a typed record
example Vocoder > loudspeaker is replaced by a microphone
example stenotype > record in phonetically simplified language
combination of both results in a machine which types when talked to
need of a universal language which is better fitted to techniques
forecasts a personal computer consistent of computing device, storage, printer

4 –

far cry from the abacus to the modern keyboard accounting machine
equal step to the arithmetical machine of the future

5 –

scientist is not the only person who manipulates data and examines world
opportunity for the machine when logical processes of thought are employed
machine which will manipulate premises according with formal logic
new symbolism to precede mathematical transformations to machine processes
search patterns and classifications of future computing machines
customer's identification card and cards for the articles in a department store
forecasts chip cards for customers at stores, libraries etc.

6 –

stored data is filed alphabetically or numerically
information is found by tracing it down from subclass to subclass
it can only be in one place, unless duplicates are used
human mind works by association of thoughts
selection by association, rather than indexing, may be mechanized

7 –

associative indexing > essential feature of the memex
user builds a trail of interest through the maze of materials available

8 –

profession of trail blazers, who establish useful trails through information
direct path by reducing information to electrical signals
we have built a civilization so complex that we need to mechanize records