As We May Think - Vannevar Bush

Week One Article Response

Vannevar Bush's 1945 article "As We May Think," anticipates the future of information technology and its impact on human communication and knowledge. Bush introduces his concept which he coins the "memex," a hypothetical machine used to store and retrieve large amounts of information. Bush's proposed device foreshadows the development of the Internet and advanced compact computing devices like smartphones. In his writing, Bush notes the inefficiency of traditional information libraries/databases, highlighting the need (at the time) for technological advancements. Nearing 80 years old, this article calls attention to the exponential technological growth that we have experienced over the last few decades especially.