Holding on to Reality - Albert Borgman - Part III
pgs 125-233
ELEMENTARY MEASURES
The Electron
(page 125)
-Plato early philosophers tried to subordinate contingency to structure with main point to reduce the mysterious to simplicity and lawfulness.
-things/compounds of physical world as compounds
-greek word for amber is electron
-Heraclean stone is magnet
-complex reciprocal processes underlie in electricity/magnetism were concealed for 2.5 millennia and proper kind of scientist didnt investigate them until modern period
-William Gilbert (1544-1603) first to give insight to attractive force of amber and magnets
(page 126)
-electric=attractive force of amber
-Hans Christian (Danish physicist - 1777-1851) first to see link between electricity and magnetism
-Francis Hauksbee (1666-1713) glow in jars linked to electricity
-Joseph John Thomson (1856-1940) 1897 let a bundle of cathode rays pass between two metal plates and by applying electric and magnetic forces through the plates to the cathode rays, caused the rays to be deflected so that the glowing spot shifted its position at the end of the glass tube.
-in time engineers transformed tube into large fluorescent surface and over more time developed the ray back and forth to create a line after line pattern on the surface now called screens/light/dark points/television/computers were born.
-Thomson/quantitative structure of cathode rays/phenomena of forces/Newtons law of motion-electric/magnetic
(page 127)
-Newtons physics provided Thomson with structure that lawfully related time and space, motion/mass, acceleration and force = make sense of his measurements.
-Thomson discovered particle/atom not at bottom of structure of reality but composed of smaller particles.
(page 128)
The Bit
-Information relation rather than thing/what is measurable and what is not
-term of information=sign
-conventional signs we call writing
-logographs-first signs of writing/too many of them thus go from tons of signs to a simple smaller set to use to clarify ( 26 of them )
(page 129)
-Greek 24 letters
-phonetic/English/40 symbols
-ASCHII contains 82 symbols
-Leibniz (1646-1716) in 1696 or 1697 discovered the binary system of two number signs (1, 0)
(page 130)
-human ability to recall groups of numbers
-we shape and order them/in groups of 7 first then estimate after that
(page 131)
-signal/binary one of two/digit signal//basic bit of information binary digit
(page 133)
-information theory allows us to measure, control, enhance information about reality-enhance human experience
-info theory lets us say how much or how little there is/greater available signs/
(page 135)
-relation between the actual space that signs occupy and space of reference is marked out by signs
-bits of information/logarithm
Content
can larger more sophisticated systems of signs accommodate the presence of things
(page 138)
-bit of information doesn't necessarily mean it will tell us what the content is
-today engineers refers to bits of space on hard drive or disk space
(page 139)
-Information technology has expanded or world of choices but lost structure/resistance
-standard computer screen early 90s had 640 times 480 pixels/pixels could have any one of 256 colors
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 12
Division
(page 141)
-basic structure is division
-God created heaven and earth/making something from nothing
(page 142)
-philosopher Heidegger-hoped to illuminate the relation between humanity, reality and technology through reflections on identity and difference
-Babbage 1822 built calculator/difference engine
(page 143-144)
-vacuum tubes = electronic devices for switching
-1944/1945 John Eckert/Herman Goldstine/ John Mauchly assembled 18,000 of them, 70,000 resisters, 10,000 capacitors, 6,000 mechanical switches into ENIAC Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer=could do 5,000 calculations in 1 min that would have been 24 hours
-but had high failure rate/bulbs blew out rapidly
-1948-transistor ws invented by John Bardeen/ Walter Brattain/William Shockely
-1959-Jean Hoerni etched a transistor on a silicon wafer
-5 yrs later=Gordon Moore realized number of elements on silicon chip doubled every year=Moore's Law
-silicon chip=medium that joined unit of information with elementary particle of electron-light and dark, one/zeros, transformed information in reality=computer.
-computer=adding machine, slide ruler, ledger, code book, drawing surface, pen, dynamic chart=take functions to new level
(page 154)
Transistor and Computer
-from structure to matter
-silicon/silica/silicon oxide
-when oxygen is removed from silica=pure silicon
-nucleus of atom of silicon is surrounded by 4 electrons
(page 155)
diagram of open/off
closed/on
Chapter 13
Transparency and Control
(page 166)
Perspicuity and Surveyability
-IT convergence from two technoligies=transmission of info and automation of computation
(page 167)
-pretechnology=writing, printing
-analog info/photos/maps/film/tapes/vinyl records=now edit is easy/handle on diff devices/mobile/
-technology promises to render reality
-memory is where info needs to be stores since natural information changes/recedes/moves forward
-1927 modern map making/contour maps/cartography traditionally drawn by hand art/craft pens/rulers/tsquares, compasses, lettering templates, creativity/good eye
Transparency
(page 170, 171)
-converting inform into digital information is more pliable
-raster system/pixels
--------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 14
Virtuality and Ambiguity
The Resolution of Information
(page 179)
-resolution of signal=signal structure of one bit/how many bits does a thing have?
(page 180)
-unlike a computer, human being would find it impossible to divide the continuous stream of ones and zeros into words
Virtual Reality
(page 183)
-depth/resolution
--------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 15
Fragility and Noise
Physical and Social Fragility
(page 193)
-technological information may be threatened by fragility and noise
-digital structures are enduring/have faultless copying
-technological information is typically written, read , copied by copyists/machines
- with massive amounts of information=precision and vastness are staggering
-26 letters used to make information that is compact and distinctive for humans to grasp
-CDROM/disc contain information stored on them/magnetic tape/ videotape/ disk drives/ digital documents
Origin of Noise
(page 201)
-crackles, hisses, stutters, degrades media and information on it
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REFLECTION PAGE
Holding onto Reality leaves us with a tightly packed historical look into how digital information came to fruition. Plato early philosophers tried to subordinate contingency to structure with main point to reduce the mysterious to simplicity and lawfulness. Things are made up of compounds in our physical world.
The Greek word for amber is electron. Heraclean stone is magnet. Its complex reciprocal processes underlies in electricity where magnetism was concealed for 2.5 milennia and where the proper kind of scientist didn't investigate them until the modern world.
William Gilbert of 1544-1603, first gave insight to the attraction force of amber and magnets. Electric=attractive force of amber. Hans Christian, a Danish physicist of 1777-1851, is first to see the link between electricity and magnetism while Francis Hauksbee of 1666-1713, discovered the glow in jars linked to electricity.
Joseph John Thomson of 1856-1940, in 1897 let a bundle of cathode rays pass between two metal plates and by applying electric and magnetic forces through the plates to the cathode rays, caused the rays to be deflected so that the glowing spot shifted its position at the end of the glass tube.
In time engineers transformed tube into large fluorescent surface and over more time developed the ray back and forth to create a line after line pattern on the surface now called screens, light and dark points, television, and hence computers were born. Thomson saw that quantitative structure of cathode rays and the phenomena of forces connected with Newtons law of motion-electric and magnetic. Newtons physics provided Thomson with structure that lawfully related time and space, motion and mass, acceleration and force = make sense of his measurements.
Thomson discovered particle/atom not at bottom of structure of reality but composed of smaller particles. The development of the 'bit' as it pertains to information is related rather than to a thing. What is measurable and what is not.
The term of information is defined as sign but some signs area conventional such as those we call writing. Logographs are the first signs of writing. Through time, we now have too many of them thus we go from massive amounts of signs to a simple smaller set of signs to use. To clarify, a 26 item sign set. There are 24 letters in the Greek alphabet. English phonetics have 40 symbols. ASCHII language contains 82 symbols.
Leibniz of 1646-1716, in 1696 or 1697, discovered the binary system of two number signs more specifically, ones and zeros. The human ability to recall groups of numbers
is incredible and we shape and order them into groups of 7 first then can estimate after that.
A signal or binary one of two digit signal. The basic bit of information binary digit
information theory allows us to measure, control, enhance information about reality and enhance human experience. Information theory lets us say how much or how little there is and has a greater available signs to use. The relation between the actual space that signs occupy and space of reference is marked out by signs. Bits of information transforms into logarithm.
A bit of information doesn't necessarily mean it will tell us what the content is but today's engineers refer to bits of space on hard drive or disk space. Information technology has expanded our world of choices but lost structure and resistance.
The standard computer screen early in the 1990's had 640 times at 480 pixels. The pixels could have any one of 256 colors. Basic structure tells a bit more about what is means to mathematical equations such as division. Borgmann even goes on to relate IA to religion and states that, God created heaven and earth and therefore made something from nothing. The philosopher Heidegger hoped to illuminate the relation between humanity, reality and technology through reflections on identity and difference. While Babbage in 1822 built the first calculator which was refered to as 'difference engine'.
A huge discovery brought the onset of huge changes yet to come in the fields of electriciy. The vacuum tubes which were electronic devices for switching was developed around 1944, 1945 by John Eckert, Herman Goldstine, John Mauchly. They assembled 18,000 of them including: 70,000 resisters, 10,000 capacitors, 6,000 mechanical switches into ENIAC, Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. This device could do 5,000 calculations in 1 min that would have been 24 hours.
It proved to have a high failure rate. Bulbs blew out rapidly as they were being used.
Around 1948, the transistor was invented by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockely. In 1959, Jean Hoerni etched a transistor on a silicon wafer
and 5 yrs later, Gordon Moore realized that a number of elements on silicon chip doubled every year often referred to as Moore's Law.
A silicon chip, a medium that joined a unit of information with elementary particle of electron i.e., light and dark, one and zeros, transformed information in reality hence the computer. The computer quickly served as adding machine, slide ruler, ledger, code book, drawing surface, pen, and a dynamic chart that takes functions to new level.
IT converged from two technologies, the transmission of information and automation of computation. Pretechnology was writing, and printing, the natural structure of information. Then analog information such as photos, maps, film, tapes, vinyl records that now edit is easy and are easy to handle on different types of devices and are mobile.
As technology moved forward, around 1927, the standard for modern map making and cartography consisted of traditionally drawn by hand art and was considered a craft that uses pens, rulers, t-squares, compasses, lettering templates, creativity and a good eye. Now technology is converting information into digital information where it is more pliable and we use a raster system that is made up of pixels.
Resolution of signals structure consist of one bit so the question arose, how many bits does a thing have? Unlike a computer, human beings would find it impossible to divide the continuous stream of ones and zeros into words. Hence the onset of, virtual Reality the replication of depth and of resolution that matches our reality.
But Borgmann states that technological information may be threatened by fragility and noise. That digital structures are enduring with faultless copying abilities. Technological information is typically written, read, and copied by copyists but now we have machines that can the same. With massive amounts of information, precision and vastness of information became staggering. We have 26 letters used to make information compact and simply and that which is distinctive for humans to grasp. However, now we have the digital age of technology that compacts this information onto CDROM discs which hold and contain the information stored on them as digital documents as well as magnetic tape, videotape, and disk drives. And we still have the problem of noise to contend with: crackles, hisses, stutters, all which degrade media and the information on it.
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