Synopsis of Wise Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Digitisation and war

Today's world of multimedia is actually originated from the wartime. Human developed electronic computers because we needed a powerful machine to calculate the accuracy and projection of cannon balls (the science of ballistics). Even those famous scientists such as Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton turned their minds to ballistics. Then after the Second World War, computers were used to help the U.S. develop atomic bombs.

After computers were made, the U.S. scientists and military turned their minds to develop fast but small devices which could help them surpass the Soviet Union in military weapons.

However, when more and more data were stored and displayed, it was hard for human to read and organize the data. Vannevar Bush developed an idea in his article As We May Think that there would be a machine called Memex, which had a pair of screens. The user could search the data, classify the material, and link the associated pieces of material. The machine could also have a touch-sensitive screen and a voice recognition system. (Wow!!!)

Then several important and convenient technologies came into world: graphical user interface (GUI), the Internet (and web browsers), 3-D simulation, artificial intelligence (AI), and other multimedia stuff, are all originated and inspired by the armies.

Based on the cruel world of wars, this is how multimedia comes into our world...