Transcript 2 - Acadia University

COMP 2903
A2 – Moore’s Law and Technical
Determinism
Danny Silver
JSOCS, Acadia University
Paul E. Ceruzzi
Technology and Culture, July, 2005
• Curator of the National Air and Space Museum,
Smithsonian Institution, Wash., DC.
• BA, Yale University in 1970 in American studies
• PhD, University of Kansas in 1981.
• Author and co-author of several books on the history
of computing and aerospace technology.
– Author of A History of Modern Computing (second edition,
MIT Press, 2003)
– Coeditor of The Internet and American Business (MIT Press,
2008).
Moore’s Law
– Gordon E. Moore, 1965, Director of of R&D of
Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corp
– In a publication predicted that number of
transistors in ICs would continue to double every
year
– Sometimes closer to 18 months
– Has held true for 45 years
– Demise has been predicted several times –
typically 10 years in advance
Technological Determinism
• Believed to have been coined by Thorstein Veblen
(1857-1929), an American sociologist
• Presumes that technology drives development of
social structure and cultural values
• Follows a predictable, traceable path largely beyond
cultural or political influence
• Technology in turn has "effects" on societies that are
inherent, rather than socially conditioned
• Sees technology as the basis for all human activity.
SHOT hits the Fan
• Society for History of Technology – 1957
• Promote a softer “social construction” of
technology
• Considering technology as part of a larger
spectrum of human activity
• Believe the influence of technology differs
based on how much a technology is used by
society
Examples of Tech. Determinism
PowerPoint: Curse or Wonder
• Vint Cerf: “Power corrupts; PowerPoint
corrupts absolutely
• Edward Tufte: PP “elevates format over
content, betraying an attitude of
commercialism that turns everything into a
sales pitch”
• But many would argue that Tufte and Cerf
have failed to persuade us
The classroom: Six years from now
• What will it look like?
• Do we have a choice?
Bill Gates / Steve Jobs
• The makers of TD ???
Open Source: Savior from TD?
• Will it come to dominate over MS and Adobe
proprietary products and formats?