Week4-Computing power/ Forecast 2050

( This picture : ENIAC.--> So Huge)

Computing Power to Communication

In 1946, John Mauchly and J Presper Eckert developed the ENIAC I (Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator), the first large-scale electronic digital computer. The U.S. military sponsored their research; they needed a calculating device for writing artillery-firing tables (the settings used for different weapons under varied conditions for target accuracy). It was incredible to behold- 100 feet long, 10 feet high, weighing 30 tons, used more than 18000 vacuum tubes, and cost nearly a half million dollars to build. That’s amazing! Could you image that you use a computer as large as our classroom? That’s so inconvenient!!!

Because of the development of technology, the computer became more and more multi-function and complicated, but its appearance became much smaller. People can easily carry a computer/ laptop and communicate with other people, even all of the world.

The most importance of computing power to communication is the invention of Personal computer and Internet. They reveal a microcosm of conversation and interaction. People communicate each other via Internet and construct the social network. This kind of social network is a collection of the relationships between individuals, indicating the interaction on Internet. It’s like a web of interconnected people who directly or indirectly interact with or influence each other. The computing power is originally for military purposes, but nowadays, it’s also used for government, businesses, educational field, even family and personal purposes. By the way, computing power also changed the traditional business model, e-commerce has changed many people’s shopping ways.

What might Bush forecast today, if he were looking to 2050?

Bush’s view is amazing! He predicted many kinds of technology before they were invented, including hypertext, PC, the Internet, the World Wide Web, speech recognition, and online encyclopedias. I think Bush is a tech-optomist, not like some tech-pessimists who thought that new technology sometimes destroys more than it creates. Bush might integrate present technologies and prodict the future developmant. I think that he will combine some high-tech advances and cite that some devices will be created. For instance, a device could constantly track the movement of everything from products to people; easy-to-use health diagnostic tests that give immediate results for a large range of infections; and environmentally friendly manufacturing methods.

What is worth noticing is that since we are not Bush, what should we do next? What kind of ability and skill should we have to face the new technology in the future? I think that we have a ability to accommocate the trend, acknowledge that we involve in high-tech, and try to slove problems. There is an old Chinese saying goes that People are great because they have a dream. Actually, these dreams constantly lead scientists to stride forward to every new technological stage. I think our dreams will also lead us to move on the wonderful future. Therefore, we have to try hard to make our dreams come true!!!