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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?