As We May Think

"As We May Think" is an essay, to me at least, to thank Science and appreciate the intellect of man-kind. Written in 1945 By Vannevar Bush, long before computer or internet was invented, this essay was written to purpose an machine named Mimex to help human store and retrieve data in rapid speed.

As Bush stated humans memory and knowledge are vulnerable as our memories are not permanent and if we cannot find a way to store our knowledge, we would not be able to grow from expanding our knowledge only based on our memory. So, there was a need to create Mimex, to not only store a large amount of data into tiny space, also select and read these data in high speed and use them to our advantage.

Without Bush's Mimex idea, personal computers probably would not existed. Since a lot of our ideas were invented from expanding and building on an existing idea. The Mimex's influence on personal computers are the same way. Technologies and computers, if used wisely, are built and made to greatly assist human beings lives; we should not fear technologies. Thanks to the invention of the Internet, we are now able to not only store the data, retrieve and share these data on the fly with those who has internet access in the world. I cannot imagine the amount of impact Internet plays in the expansion of future human's knowledge.

Reading this essay that was written back in 1945, Bush was able to predict or foresee the technologies in the future. His essay amuses me and I cannot help myself to think all the new ideas and theories that we have today, such as living in Mars, traveling back in time - maybe, they might all come true. I have yet to hear a machine to operate and react based on total creativity or emotions. And perhaps, this day is not too far. I cannot help myself to fear this type inventions but I guess all things can be evil if used in the wrong way.