Babbage and Vannevar

After last class, I was interested in learning more about the memex and analytic machine that Professor Rhodes discussed in her power point presentation. These great intellects were years ahead in their thinking. Here is a brief summary of these dudes and their contributions to technology.

Vannevar Bush

Bush among the many positions Bush held in his lifetime, was the chairman of the national defense committee in 1940. He also established the U.S. military and University research partnership which together made many strides in the development of technology.

Vannevar’s greatest contribution to the development of technology was his concept of a “memex” which was published in an article As We May Think, which was printed in The Atlantic Journal in July, 1945. Here is a link to the article, http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/194507/bush

For those who wish not to read the article in full, here is the meat and potatoes of the description of a memex:
"Consider a future device for individual use, which is a sort of mechanized private file and library. It needs a name, and to coin one at random, "memex" will do. A memex is a device in which an individual stores all his books, records, and communications, and which is mechanized so that it may be consulted with exceeding speed and flexibility. It is an enlarged intimate supplement to his memory.
It consists of a desk, and while it can presumably be operated from a distance, it is primarily the piece of furniture at which he works. On the top are slanting translucent screens, on which material can be projected for convenient reading. There is a keyboard, and sets of buttons and levers. Otherwise it looks like an ordinary desk".

Charles Babbage

Babbage can be given credit for creating the plans for the first “computer”, the analytic machine, which he was never able to actually construct before his death. The analytic machine which would perform calculations and was programmable. The analytic machine came as a “new and improved” version of Babbage’s Difference Engine which also performed calculations.
Moo!
This is off topic, but I found it interesting. Babbage also invented the “cowcatcher”. Which is the object mounted to the front of trains to deflect anything that may get on the track and possibly derail the train. (Old School Cowcatcher top, Modern Day Cowcatcher Below)