The evolution of wired life : from the alphabet to the soul-catcher chip- how information technologies change our worlds / Charles Jonscher.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jonscher, C.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Information technology--Social aspects.

Information technology.

Information society.

Physical Description:

x, 293 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : John Wiley, [1999]

Summary:

"A rich statement of why human beings can and will stay masters of the new information technologies... ." The Evolution of Wired Life "could hardly be more timely or important." - William Hutton, "Observer" (London)

If we believe the forecasts of many computer enthusiasts, a wave of amazing devices will soon fundamentally change our lives, and the "thinking machine" is just around the corner. In this authoritative and entertaining book, critically acclaimed author Charles Jonscher presents the other side of the argument. He shows us that in order to understand the true transformative powers of the new technologies, we must know about the long history of their development - and that no calculating machine can match the creative power of the human mind. Rich in insights from literature, philosophy, and history, "The Evolution of Wired Life" offers a fascinating look at the development of the digital era, from the invention of the first alphabetic language to the printing press to the World Wide Web.

Charles Jonscher (London, UK) is a computer scientist and economist who is affiliated with Harvard University's Program on Information Resources Policy.

Contents:

1 The Soul-Catcher Chip 8

2 The Ancient Mystery of Human Knowledge 35

3 Wiring the Planet 63

4 The Chip, Master Logician 93

5 But Are Computers Like Us? The Rise and Fall of Artificial Intelligence 123

6 Creating Cyberspace: Multimedia and the Internet 154

7 Looking for Results: Computers and Economic Progress 184

8 Back to the Real World: Digital Technologies of Tomorrow 210

9 Who Are We in the Digital Age? 245.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0471357596

OCLC:

42038555