Internet History timeline
He was an engineer and scientist, where he made the first analog computer that could solve complex problems. The U.S. Army noticed, and during World War II, Bush's work helped track weapons and break codes.
Anticipating a big conflict, Bush organised the National Defence Research Committee and the Office of Scientific Research and Development, contributing to wartime advancements, such as: radar.
Bush also looked ahead to control nuclear weapons, suggesting an international organisation. After the war, he influenced science policy, emphasising how research connects to economic well-being and security in the report "Science, the Endless Frontier."
Photo of Vannevar Bush
“Consider a future device … in which an individual stores all his books, records, and communications, and which is mechanised so that it may be consulted with exceeding speed and flexibility. It is an enlarged intimate supplement to his memory.” - Vannevar Bush
I find this quote amazing how well he described what the internet would be in the future, even though it wasn’t even invented yet.
I admire the work of Vannevar, as without his intelligence of developing the first computer, we wouldn’t be able to use any of the technology we use today.
<aside> 💡 Batch processing- is the method computers use to periodically complete high-volume, repetitive data jobs.
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Photo showing batch processing with Vannevar Bush
However, Bush's influence a decrease in post-war, due to his ideas and opposition to the hydrogen bomb. Although he missed out on digital computing, his "memex" idea inspired digital hypertext.
"Memex," a cutting-edge device meant to enhance human memory by tapping into the shared memories of others. This forward-thinking concept, similar to today's internet, included features such as storing and retrieving information, like: Google search, importing and displaying new data, linking content (hyperlinks), organising with classification systems (tagging), creating information trails (similar to web pages), and using machine learning for automated associative linking.
It’s fascinating how he came up this concept, years ago when technology wasn’t really known to many people. Also, how his ideas are very similar to technology we have today.
The memex reminds me of the modern-day version, Siri where we use our voice to search for something. It’s crazy how technology has advanced over the years, but still uses the same concept.