The Computer
Even though J. David Bolter wrote Turing’s Man: Western Culture in the Computer Age in 1984, at least a century ago in computer years, his observations and concerns about the electronic age are in no way obsolete. Bolter examines from a historical perspective how the computer will reshape our understanding of the human mind and our relationship with nature. By comparing the computer with defining technologies of previous ages, Bolter anticipates the many qualities and values of people in the digital age, his so-called “Turing’s men”. In doing so, he encourages those in the humanities to take an active role in shaping some of the perceptions of the emerging era.
Humankind has created, used, and replaced innumerable technologies over the past 10,000 years of written record. Turing’s Man concentrates on only four of these technologies: the spindle and potter’s wheel of ancient Greece, the mechanical clock of Renaissance Western Europe, the steam engine of Industrial Europe, and finally the computer of the electronic age. According to Bolter, each of these inventions “defines or redefines man’s role in relation to nature”(13). Although Bolter considers the influences of these technologies on many facets of culture and society, his main efforts are devoted to understanding their implications for a culture’s view of time, space, thought, and creation.
The spindle and the potter’s wheel of Ancient Greece suggest an intimate relationship between man and nature. The tools are seen more as an extension of the human hand than a barrier between craftsman and material. Bolter argues that the image of the potter, fashioning his finely crafted, but still imperfect vessel on the rotating wheel, made a great impression on the thinkers of that time. The rotating nature of these tools, mimicking the great circular paths followed by celestial bodies, led Aristotle to claim that “circular motion . . . was natural, whereas motion in a straight line required further explanation”(116). As a consequence, the Greeks adopted a cyclical view of time. The world did not progress forward in linear motion but repeated over and over. Rather than progressing, ideas and institutions would remain static or decay.
The potter and his clay also served as a metaphor for divine creation. The world and its human inhabitants were fashioned out of imperfect materials by divine force. This material makes up the entirety of the world.
Computers The Computer that you know these days is a small thing that sits on a desk in your room that is composed of a monitor, keyboard, mouse and a small box. But computers have changed so much that if you seen old computer you would never recognize it. The first computer was built in the early 17 hundreds. You probably heard that the first computer was made in the 1950’s but computers have been around for hundreds of years. All a computer is is something that calculates number. So these computers
Computers The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers. This quote, relayed by Sydney G. Harris, has many meanings to it. The basic meaning that Harris is trying to convey is that one should “open up his/her minds” and realize what is really occurring, not what is being covered up. These days, the tendency is generally for one to think about how one day, computers might be able to think like humans, and the problems that that
The word "computer" was first recorded as being used in 1613 and was originally used to describe a human who performed calculations or computations. The definition of a computer remained the same which is an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program. Until the end of the 19th century when people began to realize machines never get tired and can perform calculations much faster and more accurately than
Computers A common misconception about computers is that they are smarter than humans. Actually, the degree of a computer¹s intelligence depends on the speed of its ignorance. Today¹s complex computers are not really intelligent at all. The intelligence is in the people who design them. Therefore, in order to understand the intelligence of computers, one must first look at the history of computers, the way computers handle information, and, finally, the methods of programming the machines.
The Age of Computers Believe it or not, but the age of computers is upon us. I believe Computers are not only here to stay, but in my opinion computers are the wave of the future. Only a device like the computer can change the way we work, live, and think. I see computers taking us places where no man has gone before. Twenty years ago people were just not up to date with computers back then. I mean if you ask someone about a computer, they probably would say something like, what in the world our
History of Computers Historically, the most important early computing instrument is the abacus, which has been known and widely used for more than 2,000 years. Another computing instrument, the astrolabe, was also in use about 2,000 years ago for navigation. Blaise Pascal is widely credited with building the first "digital calculating machine" in 1642. It performed only additions of numbers entered by means of dials and was intended to help Pascal's father, who was a tax collector. In 1671
about the effect this has on the environment. When recycling computers it is also very important to recognize the amount of hazardous material in an actual computer. Not until the last few decades has this been an issue. Many people and many companies are upgrading their computers and the issue here is what to do with the old ones. Computers are put together very complexly. There are many materials that are needed to make a computer work and many of these are deemed hazardous to the environment
technology; it is information. Because of computer networks, just about everyone can now access an astounding range of information. The Internet is international, even though 80 percent of the Internet use occurs in the United States, and a staggering amount of information on every subject imaginable is available for free. Because so many people now have access, computer crimes have become more frequent. Everyone with a computer and a modem can commit a computer crime if so inclined. Anyone, conceivably
Computers have many functions. Communicating to others, performing job functions, and playing games are just some of the things computers are responsible for. Technology changes on a daily basis and will continue to. Below is a resource of information on different aspects of computing. The Computer Industry The computer industry is a customary term used to characterize the range of businesses involved with producing of computer hardware, software, and networking of the infrastructures. The computer
caused the inventor(s) of the computer to invent it? The computer was invented for many reasons, but mainly for solving math problems faster. It was also invented for stocks and trading. At the time that the computer was really needed was in the time period of WWII time to crack secret messages from the opposing countries and to help the countries create new weapons. When people were doing math, it could take them minutes or even hours to do using a slide rule, while a computer could take only seconds
Recycling Computers (this paper includes survey and results) In order to keep up with technology, computers must be replaced every few years. Most people simply throw away their old computers and other electrical parts because they are unaware of the environmental problem arising everyday from the careless disposal of electronics. In order to prevent the destruction of the environment people must be educated in two areas; what is in the computer itself that makes it harmful to the environment
Computers And Marketing Marketing is the process by which goods are sold and purchased. The aim of marketing is to acquire, retain, and satisfy customers. Modern marketing has evolved into a complex and diverse field. This field includes a wide variety of special functions such as advertising, mail-order business, public relations, retailing and merchandising, sales, market research, and pricing of goods. Businesses, and particularly the marketing aspect of businesses, rely a great deal on the
The computer age is here to stay. Good or bad it can’t be reversed. We have to deal with the dangers it poses to society. One aspect of the technological age is the impact of computers and the internet on our children. Computers both improve and harm their education. How can society keep its children safe from the information highway? Computers are tools that help students learn. They are necessary in the evolution of the educational learning. There are dilemmas in the use of computers and the
Computers in Society Over the past decade, computers and modern technology have played an integral part in the way our society operates. Everywhere we turn there is indication of the advancement and innovation streaming in today’s society. The composition of the world surrounding us solely depends on the emulation of the world around us, in order to keep up with the ever-changing way we operate as a whole. The entire world is dependent upon that which we created from our own minds and hands, whose
DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTERS OVER THE DECADES A Computer is an electronic device that can receive a set of instructions, or program, and then carry out this program by performing calculations on numerical data or by compiling and correlating other forms of information. The modern world of high technology could not have come about except for the development of the computer. Different types and sizes of computers find uses throughout society in the storage and handling of data, from secret governmental