What is the significance of the telegraph?

The telegraph was an extremely important invention for communication and media. According to Britannica Enyclopedia the telegraph is any device or system that allows the transmission of information by coded signal over distance. Many telegraphic systems have been used over the centuries, but the term is most often understood to refer to the electric telegraph, which was developed in the mid-19th century and for more than 100 years was the principal means of transmitting printed information by wire or radio wave

In 1832 Samuel F.B. Morse, a professor of painting and sculpture at the University of the City of New York (later New York University), became interested in the possibility of electric telegraphy and made sketches of ideas for such a system. In 1835 he devised a system of dots and dashes to represent letters and numbers. In 1837 he was granted a patent on an electromagnetic telegraph.

Before the electric telegraph, people had to wait long periods of time to get news from other states, regions, countries, etc. News was sent from one area to another by one person travelling to that other area to deliver the news. This slow system of communicating could take days, weeks, or even months depending on how far away the news was coming from. The telegraph led us into an age of more rapid communication, where it was not necessary for someone to travel to another city or country to deliver news. Eventually the telegraph led us into the telephone, which eventually led to the cell phone, which led us to cell phones that can do everything an anything. Now we dont think twice about calling our friends and family on the other side of the country. And though not easily, the telegraph was the first invention that allowed us to do this.

What is autopoiesis?

A newer definition of life revolves around the idea of autopoiesis. This idea was put forth by Chilean biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela and emphasizes the peculiar closure of living systems, which are alive and maintain themselves metabolically whether they succeed in reproduction or not. Unlike machines, whose governing functions are embedded by human designers, organisms are self-governing. The autopoietic definition of life resembles the physiological definition but emphasizes life’s maintenance of its own identity, its informational closure, its cybernetic self-relatedness, and its ability to make more of itself. Autopoiesis refers to self-producing, self-maintaining, self-repairing, and self-relational aspects of living systems.

From Britannica

What is the difference between wired and wireless technologies?

To put it quite simply, the difference between wired and wireless technologies is the physical wire verses a wireless network. To fully explain the difference between wired and wireless technologies, I will give an example that all of us can relate to.

Being Fordham students and most of us (with few exceptions) having lived in a dorm here on the Rose Hill Campus and have experienced first hand the wired verses wireless network. Every Fordham dorm room comes equipped with an Ethernet port (also known as a data jack) for each student in the room. In order to connect to the internet, a student needs to have an Ethernet cable that he/she can plug from the computer and into the data jack. However, in order to obtain internet access, a student’s computer must have a LAN (local area connection) set up on the computer. This allows the computer to recognize the network, and with the “easy” Fordham login, one can have internet access.

However, there are many reasons as to why a student might be unable to be wired. Perhaps there is no data jack. Maybe you don’t feel like buying an Ethernet cable. Or, since Fordham advertises that it is 99% wireless, you expect that being wired would not even be an option. Well, if you have wireless signal on your computer (if you have a wireless/airport card) you can easily pick up the wireless network. You need to be part of a network or have a router that emits the wireless signal to be able to have access to a wireless network. Most are password protected, such a with Fordham’s network. So, to log onto a wireless network (such as here at Fordham), you simply connect to the wireless network and log in using your accessIT ID username and password.

Both wired and wireless technologies can have their pro and cons. For wired:

	Pro's	Con's
	Reliable - Not affected by other wireless signals (portable/cellular phones, microwaves, etc)	Affected by moisture and other weather conditions
	Price (wire is cheap!)	Can be affected by noise generated by machinery and magnetics
	High Life Expectancy	Length of wire runs limited
	High Speed
	QoS (Quality of Service)

And for wireless:

Pro's	Con's
Convenient	Un-reliable - affected by other wireless signals (portable/cellular phones, microwaves, etc)
Range	Price
High Life Expectancy	Signals can be easily intercepted
	Speeds are much slower than wired
	QoS (Quality of Service)

Although being wired has it benefits of having a constant, continuous connection, I personally prefer the wireless connection, such that I can more around and do not have to be stationary at my desk, or wherever a data jack might be. There are also a lot of new technologies that are wireless bases (such as wireless printers), and it makes me wonder how much longer we'll rely on wired technologies...

(information boxes from http://www.skullbox.net/wiredvswireless.php)

What is Electricity?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, electricity is defined as a fundamental form of energy observable in positive and negative forms that occurs naturally (as in lightning) or is produced (as in a generator) and that is expressed in terms of the movement and interaction of electrons. This is important to humans in that since people are able to harness the manipulation of the way electrons move, they can activate objects that normally would be unable to be active without power.

In the above image, it is the movement of the electrons from one place to the other that is actually visible, creating the flash and lighting up the bulb.

Wireless Significance

When I think wireless I think of cell phones, GPS devices, and radios to name a few. I also think of how lucky our generation is because of our wireless state. Imagine back only decades ago, when things were not wireless. How different that must have been!

Wireless has given us the freedom to explore and change our plans at any given moment. This summer I went to the beach with my cousins and out of nowhere a storm rolled in. Before wireless we would have packed up the car and driven straight home- but due to the marvelous invention of the GPS we were able to reroute ourselves to a famous ice cream place noted for its huge variety of frozen yogurt flavors. Thanks wireless GPS.

Anecdotes aside, wireless applications most commonly refer to our security systems (homes and offices), TV remote controls, and cellular telephony (phones and modems), and WiFi.

Broadcasting

Broadcasting, in it's most simplest form, is the transmission of audio, video, and music by means of television and radio (Websters Dictionary). Preceding the technology of broadcast media, the only form of literary journalism and entertainment was made possible through means of the printing press. Considering that most people were literate by the early 20th Century, the medium of books, newspapers and broadsides sufficed, but lacked the third, crucial element of sound and visuals.

Along with the new technology of broadcasting came a lot of controversy regarding content. As time went on and having a television set in the living room became more prevalent, issues of censoring the media started to surface. People were concerned with what type of shows were being played and what messages they were portraying. Now that networks could broadcast a television program, virtually beam it into millions of living rooms around the country (and World), parents felt that they had lost a sense of control with what their children were watching and learning. Were parents comfortable with the type of content (language, subject matter) of the television program? Did people feel they were watching government enforced political propaganda? Would violence on television translate into everyday life? These new questions that were now raised due to the new technology of television and radio broadcast took an alarming precedent and created a new set of issues up for debate in the current society (and even still today).

Broadcasting was by no means a negative invention and it was certainly a turning point in the advancement of technology and shifted journalism into broadcast journalism. People who lived in the rural mid-west and had never seen the big cities around the country could now see live pictures of such in actual motion. There was no need to go out to a theater on a Friday night for live entertainment when you could just sit and watch a live variety show in the comfort of your own living room. But perhaps one of the most significant live broadcasts of the 20th Century was that of the first ever moon landing of the Apollo 11 in 1969. People all around the World were glued to their television sets watching the live broadcast, with audio, of man stepping foot on our moon. Watching this seemed science fiction to many, a feat unimaginable by most, and to others, it was an astonishing sight that opened up a black-hole of questions and opportunity. Here is a video of this epic, televised landing.

Electrification

Electrification refers to the modification of a system so that it is powered by electricity. This may include equipping a bulidng to run on electricity. Also an example of this would be the change in a trains power from being produced by steam to electricity. We are currently witnessing the electrification of vehicles. Though there have been many other alternatives to gasoline, electric vehicles seem to be of the most prevalent persuasion. I believe it is very likely that we will see a change of fuel source in vehicles during the course of our lifetime. Possibly, it will be electricity.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

According to Wikipedia, “the electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The electromagnetic spectrum of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object.” The electromagnetic spectrum is composed of radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet waves, x-rays and gamma rays. As society’s knowledge of the electromagnetic waves expanded we began to harness its properties and thereby enhancing our communication systems. We heavily rely on these electromagnetic waves whether were using a cell-phone, Wi-Fi, or merely hearing something on the radio. Grasping the power of these waves has made our lives much easier and more efficient.

Telecommunications

Telecommunication is as defined by Websters Dictionary, "communication by electronic or electrical means, as through a radio, TV, computers, etc" (Telecommunications). A vague as this defintion seems, it's really that simple. Telecommunications is the use of an electrical system or medium to communicate at a distance. Whether it is blogging, listening to the radio, or watching television, all are examples of the phenomenon of telecommunications.
It is such an important part of today's world that there is a massive industry based on it. The telecommunication industry, or telecom industry allows people all over the world to communicate utilizing a wide variety of media. These systems are becoming faster and easier each year bringing new and better choices for consumers of the industry. Companies such as Verizon, AT&T, and MCI are all examples of telecommunication companies who offer services to their consumers and allow them to communicate electronically world-wide.

For more information:
1. http://www.gmu.edu/departments/telecomm/whatis.htm

Questions for Week 2

Once again, in all instances, keep in mind that the word is only refers to the ways in which various individuals talk about their ideas about the world, and the ways in which they define their terms.

Once a question is answered, it will still be possible to go into greater depth and detail in discussing these topics. And please feel free to add questions of your own, and answer them.

What is electricity?

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

What is electrification?

What is the difference between alternating current and direct current?

What is the difference between electric and electronic?

What are vacuum tubes and transistors?

What is the significance of the invention of the telegraph?

What is the significance of the invention of the wireless?

What is the significance of the invention of the telephone?

What is broadcasting?

What is the difference between wired and wireless technologies?

What is the significance of the invention of the electric light?

What is telecommunications?

Can you provide a timeline of the history of electricity and telecommunications?

What have scholars such as Lewis Mumford, Harold Innis, and Marshall McLuhan said about electricity and telecommunications?

What about Frankenstein's monster?

What is emergence?

Dictionary.com defines emergence as evolution; moreover, the appearance of new properties or species in the course of development.  Specifically for our class, I think emergence means the development and surfacing of new technologies over time.

Bits/Bytes

I talk about megabytes and gigabytes practically every day due to my music collection, frequent downloading, and lack of storage space, but I was unsure of what these words truly meant. I checked out the Indiana University Technology base which best explained the relationship between bits-bytes-kilobytes-megabytes-gigabytes. They even go all the way up to a "yottabyte" which is a word I have never heard of before.


A bit is the smallest unit - it can only be a 1 or a 0.

A byte is composed of typically 8 bits which combine to form something simple like a letter (i.e. Z).

I have never understood why computer storage is not saved by a system of 10s, but IU states that computers use "binary math." Thus, a kilobyte is 1,024 bytes instead of 1,000.

The largest denomination of space I have ever used is a terrabyte (TB) which is 1,099,511,627,776 bytes.


IU has a table of the equivalencies of each of these different sizes which I found very helpful. It is:

Unit	Equivalent
1 kilobyte (KB)	1,024 bytes
1 megabyte (MB)	1,048,576 bytes
1 gigabyte (GB)	1,073,741,824 bytes
1 terabyte (TB)	1,099,511,627,776 bytes
1 petabyte (PB)	1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes

What is a system?

According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, a system is a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole, such as a number system. More specifically to this class, it is defined as a group of devices or artificial objects or an organization forming a network especially for distributing something or serving a common purpose. This could be considered a telephone system, a heating system, or a computer system—practically any type of connection. If you look around us in our everyday lives, we are surrounded by systems. If you truly think about it, we are dependent on systems—not only the systems that we use to keep ourselves alive (our digestive system, ect), but imagine a world without our communication system? Without a telephone system, a computer system, a wireless system (in regards to wireless technologies, such as cell phones). Without the technological systems surrounding us, our society would function completely differently. We wouldn’t even have this blog!

What is Information Theory?

According to the Merriam- Webster Dictionary, "information theory" is a theory that deals statistically with information, with the measurement of its content in terms of its distinguishing essential characteristics or by the number of alternatives from which it makes a choice possible, and with the efficiency of processes of communication between humans and machines. Information theory is most commonly measured in bits (a contraction of a binary digit, being either a zero or a one).  The sequence of the information content is defined by the number of bits used to transmit the sequence with use of an optimal encoding. An important part of measuring information is the theory of entropy, which is expressed by the average number of bits needed for storage. 

what is a fractal?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary fractal is defined as “any various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part is similar in shape to a given larger or smaller part when magnified or reduced to the same size.” In other words a fractal is a small geometric patter than has been enlarged or reduced to different scales and combined to produce irregular shapes. Examples of a fractal item in nature would be a snowflake or a crystal.

How can noise be reduced?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, noise is defined as “a sound, especially one that is loud or unpleasant or that causes disturbance: making a noise like a pig | what's that rustling noise outside the door?” People always seem to want to suppress what they believe to be unnecessary background noise; whether it’s coming from a computer processor or a mobile conversation. These background noises make it difficult for people to understand each other or to efficiently carry out whatever task they’ve set out to do. Noise can cause a person to completely miss something important in a speech or miss the latest gossip that their best friend called them for. In our information society, nobody likes or appreciates the disturbance of noise, especially if the cost is some important information that they want to hear.

Noises can at times be nuisances, but as technology improves so does our ability to reduce these nuisances from our surroundings. “Special purpose noise reduction software programs” exist and have been made available in order to reduce the unpleasant disturbances of noises. Some of these software programs “include Neat Image, Grain Surgery, Noise Ninja, DenoiseMyImage (freeware), GREYCstoration and pnmnlfilt (nonlinear filter) found in the open source Netpbm tools. General purpose image and photo editing software including noise reduction functions include Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, PhotoImpact and Helicon Filter also features noise reduction abilities.” As technology becomes more sophisticated noise may no longer be problematic, but will that make us better off and more efficient when trying to receive a conveyor’s message?

What is Noise?

According to Merriam-Webster Online,  noise is an unwanted signal or a disturbance (as static or a variation of voltage) in an electronic device or instrument (as radio or television).  In other words, noise is anything that detracts from the actual message that a communicator is trying to convey. Noise can take a variety of forms, from static in a radio broadcast to a conversation in the back of a classroom distracting students from paying attention to the teacher's message. This is undesirable because it can cause the actual information to be distorted. The only way to ensure that the message has been received with accuracy is to take any noise into account.

What is the difference between between information and knowledge?

As Luke said earlier, "Information as defined by Merriam Webster is 'the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence.'" Knowledge, as defined by Merriam Webster is "the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association."

What I tend to associate knowledge with is learning. Knowledge is the information that you retain and carry with you through life. Knowledge can be anything from information from the classroom, a test, studying, or even street smarts. It is what you KNOW, and not always considered the "information" we read in texts.

Information tends to be solid and grounded. It is what you might find in a text book or online is written form. In an electronic age, it is much easier for us to receive information versus knowledge. Though we may need knowledge to get us through a test or experience, information is constantly accessible for us through the internet, and even any form of text. While many of us have the internet on our phones, it is constantly easy to access any form of information we may need.

Human nature has almost turned away from the emphasis on knowledge, and more toward information. Professors, teachers, and school officials have begun to emphasize the need for academic integrity, with no plagiarism, and cheating on tests.

What is Cybernetics?

Though it may not be apparent from surface value, cybernetics is responsible for giving us the internet, microwaves, lasers, email, computers, and DVDs to name a few. Cybernetics became popular based on the discoveries of Norbert Wiener, a Mathematics professor at MIT in the early 1900s (www.isss.org/lumwiener.htm). Wiener was the first person to actually calculate and record what is now known today as cybernetics. His discoveries created a lot of controversy in the scientific world and eventually spread to many sciences such as mathematics, biology, neurophysiology, anthropology, and psychology.

Cybernetics, as later defined, is actually a clarification, a distinction, between humans and machines and implies that all major machines can be related, ordered, and understood. “Cybernetics deals with all forms of behavior in so far as they are regular, or determinate, or reproducible” (Ross Ashby). This means that the natural reality is irrelevant. For example, the design and color of a laptop has little to do with the mechanical networks inside.

Today, cybernetics is most commonly paired with AI, or Artificial Intelligence. “AI is predicated on the presumption that knowledge is a commodity that can be stored inside of a machine, and that the application of such stored knowledge to the real world constitutes intelligence” (www.pangaro.com). For example, if you program your alarm clock to go off at 7AM, then your alarm clock technically has a form of stored intelligence, or Artificial Intelligence. See the diagram below for further comparison of the relationship between AI and cybernetics. When you look at cybernetics from an educational perspective, it is basically just the study of human control functions and how machines can be programmed to replace them.

What is Feedback?

According to Webster's dictionary, feedback is the return to the input of a part of the output of a machine, system, or process (as for producing changes in an electronic circuit that improve performance or in an automatic control device that provide self-corrective action).

To elucidate the meaning of the word feedback, let's look at the 'Communication and Cyberspace' book's example on page 48, of our assigned text. It reads: "Norbert Weiner, the child prodigy and mathematical wizard.... formulated the basis for the engineering of "feedback" into so many of the devices we associate with computer assisted living from cruise control to the smart house......" "Weiner, who had wanted to become a medical doctor, found he was unable to properly slice sections for for up-to-standard microscopic slides (an essential task for all medical students in those days). He could not do so, not because he had unsteady hands, but because his vision was very poor. His eureka was to realize that his hand and eye formed a loop of control and adjustment; a feedback loop, he called it, realizing it was an essential component of all activity, because all activity is interactivity. Feedback then began to be consciously engineered into all sorts of devices...."