Science writer Tom Standage draws apt parallels between the telegraph and the gem of late 20th century technology, the Internet. Both systems grew out of the cutting edge science of their time. The telegraphs land lines, underwater cables, and clicking gadgets reflected the 19th century’s research in electromagnetism. The Interacts computers and high-speed connections reflected the 19th century computer science, information theory, and materials technology.
But, while gizmos make a global network possible, it takes human cooperation to make it happen. Standage’s insight in this regard adds depth to his technological history, he under scores the relevance to our own time of the struggles of Samuel Morse in America, William Cooke in England, and other telegraph pioneers. They made the technology work efficiently, sold it to a skeptical public, and overcame national and international bureaucratic obstacles. The solutions they found smooth the Internets way today.
A. The telegraph.
B. Information theory.
C. Materials technology.
D. The Internet.
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