"As We May Think"

I have just finished reading "As We May Think", an article written by Vannevar Bush and published in the Atlantic in July of 1945. I found that the date the article was written was very important in understanding this article. I thought it was amazing how accurate Bush was in his predictions of future technologies. There were no computers in 1945 yet he was describing them and how they could be used.

I found it particularly interesting the way he described the importance of compression. As I read I couldn't help but relate his theories to the technologies of today. I immediately thought of a USB flash drive or hard drive used to store information for later use. Bush's vision of storing large amounts of information in a compressed, compact form has become a reality. He mentions that "The Encyclopedia Britannica could be reduced to the volume of a matchbox. A library of a million volumes could be compressed into one end of a desk." As I read this, I immediately recalled an article I had read within the past year which stated that the Encyclopedia Britannica would no longer be published in print. They will be completely digital from now on. The accuracy of Bush's statements amaze me.

It interests me to think about future technologies. I have trouble fathoming a successor to the computers and internet we use today.Have the engineers and researchers of today made theories in the same manner as Bush? What will technology be like in 50 years?