Media Essay: Tracing the Development of Computer Technology

This essay explores the evolution of computer technology, starting with An Wang's observation on the increasing reliance on computers in modern society. It delves into Gregory Vlastos's perspective on technology's rapid evolution, comparing it to the 'genetic code' of human advancement, particularly in tool-making. The essay further discusses Danny Hillis's comparison of the computer to the human brain, highlighting the computer's immense computing capacity and the reverse engineering used to develop machine-based neural nets. It also touches on the integration of input/output devices in computers, mirroring human senses like vision and hearing, with examples such as implanted visual displays and cochlear implants. The essay references key works by Wang, Gilder, Vlastos, Rukeyser, Barrow and Hillis, providing a comprehensive overview of computer technology's development and its parallels with human capabilities.

Running head: MEDIA 1
Media
Name
Institution Affiliation

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The Day the Computers Stopped
An Wang postulates that the digitization of information is the most attractive
progression realized in the 20th century. The author note that if all computers stopped to
function in the 1960s only a few individuals would have noticed. However, if a similar
situation could happen in the present society all operation would come to a standstill. For
instance all electronic power distribution would not work since they are connected through
electronic communication of embedded microprocessors (Wang & Gilder, 1999). In this
light, the author shows how human beings have progressed from manual control approaches
to digital where their lives are reliant to the continuous operation of the computers.
The Law of Time and Chaos
According to Gregory Vlastos technology picks the right up with the exponentially
quick pace of evolution. Therefore, technology goes past the mere fashion and use of tools
such that it entails the recording of tools making advancement in the sophistication of tools.
Technology require inventions which keep on evolving through other means. For example,
technology is related to the “genetic code” of evolution process which is maintained by the
record of tool-making species (Rukeyser & Barrow, n.d.). Like the early life genetic code was
only the chemical composition of organisms, it is the same way technology was only written
record comprising the early tools. Over time the “gene” the advancement in technology led to
the development of record with the help of written language which can be stored in databases
of computers. In this context the evolution of computer technology is related to human
evolution process.
The Computer itself
According to Danny Hillis the author compares the computer to the human brain
where the computer has a high computing capacity of approximately a thousand human

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brains. Accordingly, the author argue that the computer has two times 1019 the calculation
ability for every second as compared to the human brain. While it is the human brain that led
to the initiation of the computing technology over 99 percent of this creation are nonhuman.
The computer has been developed in relation to the human brain where different regions of
the human brain have been decoded using parallel algorithm. Therefore, the specialized areas
of the human brain have been used through architecture and topologies of these regions to
successfully develop the computer (Hillis, n.d.). The reverse engineering has been used to
create machine-based neutral nets which are significantly faster with greater memory and
computing capacities as well as other refinements which are more powerful than the human
analogues. The computer uses input and output devises for visual display similar to human
eyes where when images are projected onto the retina it provides a high-resolution
illustration. In the computer the implanted visual display act as cameras to capture the visual
images. Therefore, the computer has been developed to function in the same way the human
brain operate. The computer has been fitted with cochlear implants which were initially only
utilized for hearing impaired but current they are globally used. These implants offer auditory
communication in both direction that is between human users and across the world’s
computing network.

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References
Muriel Rukeyser & John D. Barrow,(n.d.). The Law of the Time and Chaos: . Probing the
Past, 9-39.
An Wang & Gorge Gilder, (1999). The Day the Computer Stopped . Preparing the present ,
156-186.
Danny Hillis, (n.d.). The Computer Itself . The Face of the Future , 220-233.