Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Clarke Predicted the Internet in 1974!

Look at this charming photo here. The setting in 1974 inside a large data center filled to the brim with the behemoths of the day. The venerable Clarke stands to the right and a reporter for Australian TV along with his son. The reporter asks Clarke what the boys life will be like in 2001.

Clarke in a room full of what the present, at that time, considered the height of technology, describes something quite different.

With the racks and rows looking on Clarke all but names the internet.  The boy's home will contain a vastly smaller computer which will supply the boy's information needs.   The unit will be so innocuous that the boy will take it for granted, much as he would the phone.  Remember this is way earlier than the "web" and predates the internet by a good 20 years.

Clarke does acknowledge that there is a chance of dependance but that is outweighed by conveniences like tele-commuting plus the ability to talk to other people over the computer.

3 comments:

kallamis said...

I actually remember this, barely. Saw the draft and have been waiting for it to get up here.
Makes you wonder about him sometimes. And what all he actually saw coming in terms of technology and advancement. Bet he didn't see the push against advancement that we are getting lately though. No one could have seen that coming.

Beam Me Up said...

well who in their wildest imagination would consider falling all the way back to Buuuuuuuurn tha witch! buuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrn ur!

Anonymous said...

What push back to technology we have not come very far yet, in terms of even scratching the surface of what is really possible! I have been an industrial Tech/electronics tech for 32 years and I still do not see any big advancements! By 1974 we had already invented everything we use in the modern world today!Cure rate for adult cancer still the same we still cannot cure the common cold or a lot of other disease! Where is the big progress,there is the internet but most people use it as a social media stop, sharing good solid technology is a great idea, we have not made any huge leaps in technology since 1974 everything we have now we pretty much had then!High def TV , but movies have almost always been high def!