Gleick's Studies 7-9

Gleick certainly searched a whole lot to discover the truth behind not only the creation of computer technology, but he even wrote in great detail about the process that went through the creators minds. In Chapter 7 one statement that stuck me was that he said, "Only the fearful and superstitious imagined that machines could be creative or original or spontaneous." In today's world those same people imagine a variety of different things, such as: the 2k black outs, how machines tie to cancer, and even the most recent 2012 apocalypse. I feel like our past creations almost haunt us today. Everything revolving on earth's ending superstitions ties to technology in some kind of way. This quote also explains how imaginations are brought to life. In today's world, people generally rely on computers to communicate, work, entertain, and create. What do people in today's world imagine for the future? What's going to be the next big invention, will computers one day be obsolete?

Turing only started with an imagination, that eventually led to the first development of a tape. This broke new ground in the past and in today's world with advance technology like an iPhone, people everyday are making up new inventions based off of their imaginations and bringing them to life with Apps. Shannon then went on to create cryptography during WWII and the advancements continued. At this day and age most of the hard work is done. Solving all those algorithms and developing virtual intelligence has become so advanced now that it's hard to even imagine what a "mundane brain" was even like.

I found it very interesting to get a detailed understanding on how the technology of today's world was born. Though as I read each chapter, I couldn't help but link the simple concepts that began everything we use today. When I read about Wiener's studies comparing the human nervous system and machines, I instantly thought about the creation of the X-ray, which eventually became a machine that examined the human body to a whole new extent. Even though his intent was the thermostat. This was a great read for those looking for an insight into the real past life of communications.