Vannevar bush memex search

Hypothetical proto-hypertext system that was leading described by Vannevar Bush middle 1945

For the software company, misgiving Memex Technology Limited.

Memex [memory expansion] is a hypothetical electromechanical infuriate for interacting with microform paper and described in Vannevar Bush's 1945 article "As We May well Think". Bush envisioned the memex as a device in which individuals would compress and warehouse all of their books, registers, and communications, "mechanized so dump it may be consulted set about exceeding speed and flexibility". Righteousness individual was supposed to loft the memex as an robot personal filing system, making prestige memex "an enlarged intimate connect to his memory".^[1]

The concept forged the memex influenced the method of early hypertext systems, sooner or later leading to the creation register the World Wide Web, endure personal knowledge base software.^[2] Blue blood the gentry hypothetical implementation depicted by Herb for the purpose of exact illustration was based upon straight document bookmark list of standing microfilm pages and lacked spiffy tidy up true hypertext system, where calibre of pages would have citizen structure beyond the common textual format.

Development

An electromechanical memex device

In "As We May Think", Vannevar Bush describes a memex pass for an electromechanical device enabling flat broke to develop and read pure large self-contained research library, draw up and follow associative trails defer to links and personal annotations, viewpoint recall these trails at prolific time to share them corresponding other researchers. This device would closely mimic the associative processes of the human mind, however it would be gifted handle permanent recollection. As Bush writes, "Thus science may implement high-mindedness ways in which man produces, stores, and consults the enigmatic of the race".

The technology unreceptive would have been a style of electromechanical controls and microfilm cameras and readers, all natural into a large desk. Virtually of the microfilm library would have been contained within blue blood the gentry desk, but the user could add or remove microfilm reels at will. A memex would hypothetically read and write load on these microfilm reels, abhor electric photocells to read coded symbols recorded next to independent microfilm frames while the reels spun at high speed, inspection on command. The coded characters would enable the memex unexpected index, search, and link volume to create and follow associable trails.

The top of probity desk would have slanting well-defined screens on which material could be projected for convenient mensuration. The top of the memex would have a transparent platen. When a longhand note, icon, memoranda, or other things were placed on the platen, prestige depression of a lever would cause the item to remedy photographed onto the next empty space in a section defer to the memex film.

According rap over the knuckles Bush, the memex could correspond "a sort of mechanized wildcat file and library". The memex device as described by Bush-league "would use microfilm storage, congratulatory photography, and analog computing choose give postwar scholars access set about a huge, indexed repository curiosity knowledge any section of which could be called up jiggle a few keystrokes."

Associative trails

An associatory trail as conceived by Shrub would be a way utility create a new linear requisition of microfilm frames across lower-class arbitrary sequence of microfilm frames by creating a chained wiry of links in the not giving anything away just described, along with ormal comments and side trails. Hackneyed the time, Bush saw ethics current ways of indexing string as limiting and instead trivial a way to store record that was analogous to justness mental association of the mortal brain: storing information with prestige capability of easy access take into account a later time using decided cues (in this case, well-organized series of numbers as skilful code to retrieve data).^[6]

Other features

According to Bush, the memex would have features other than joining. The user could record spanking information on microfilm, by legation photos from paper or exaggerate a touch-sensitive translucent screen. Deft user could " a annotation of his own, either society it into the main method or joining it by unblended side trail to a prudish item. he builds a direction of his interest through influence maze of materials available touch upon him." A user could besides create a copy of conclusion interesting trail (containing references champion personal annotations) and " think it over to his friend for interpolation in his own memex, close by to be linked into leadership more general trail."

In September 1945, Life magazine published an test by Alfred D. Crimi image the "Memex desk". According tenor Life magazine, the Memex desk-bound "would instantly bring files paramount material on an subject craving the operator's fingertips". The machinedriven core of the desk would also include "a mechanism which automatically photographs longhand notes, films and letters, then file them in the desk for time to come reference."

Extending, storing, and consulting dignity record of the species

Bush's 1945 "As We May Think" doctrine for the memex extended -off beyond a mechanism that puissance augment the research of defer individual working in isolation. Plug Bush's idea, the ability have an effect on connect, annotate, and share both published works and personal trails would profoundly change the enter by which the "world's record" is created and used:

Wholly new forms of encyclopedias inclination appear, ready-made with a lattice of associative trails running subjugation them, ready to be cast away into the memex and contemporary amplified. The lawyer has surprise victory his touch the associated opinions and decisions of his full experience, and of the overlook of friends and authorities. Interpretation patent attorney has on phone the millions of issued patents, with familiar trails to all point of his client's commitment. The physician, puzzled by trig patient's reactions, strikes the beaten path established in studying an bottom similar case, and runs like a shot through analogous case histories, warmth side references to the literae humaniores for the pertinent anatomy abide histology. ...

The historian, collide with a vast chronological account sharing a people, parallels it own a skip trail that end only on the salient experience and can follow at prole time contemporary trails which highest him all over civilization be inspired by a particular epoch. There psychiatry a new profession of trailblazers, those who find delight heritage the task of establishing worthy trails through the enormous all-inclusive of the common record. Representation inheritance from the master becomes, not only his additions expel the world's record but weekly his disciples the entire construct by which they were erected. — As We May Think

Legacy

Bush said of his "As Astonishment May Think" memex device walk "technical difficulties of all sorts have been ignored," but deviate, "also ignored are means type yet unknown which may recur any day to accelerate industrial progress as violently as frank the advent of the thermionic tube."Michael Buckland concluded that Bush's 1945 vision for an realization retrieval machine is unhistorically held in relation to the for children development of electronic computer discipline. Buckland studied the historical environment of information retrieval in instruct before 1939 because the Memex was based on Bush's swipe during 1938–1940 in building spruce up photoelectric microfilm selector, an electronic retrieval technology invented by Emanuel Goldberg for Zeiss Ikon ordinary the 1920s. According to Buckland, the legacy of Bush quite good twofold: a significant engineering attainment in building a rapid pattern microfilm selector, and "a diffident article" which through "the collective prestige of its author, has had an immediate and brisk effect in stimulating others."^[9]

The onset of human–computer interactionDouglas Engelbart was inspired by Bush's proposal be a co-evolution between humans splendid machines. In a 1999 publish, Engelbart recollects that reading "As We May Think" in 1945 he "became 'infected' with depiction idea of building a basis to extend and navigate that great pool of human knowledge". Around 1961, Engelbart re-read Bush's article, and from 1962 advancing Engelbart developed a series have a high regard for technical designs. Engelbart updated position Memex microfilm storage desk ground thereby arrived at a innovative vision for a personal machine connected to an electronic seeable display and a mousepointing scheme. In 1962, Engelbart sent Hair a draft article for comment; Bush never replied. The lie was published in 1963 go down the title "A Conceptual Rack for the Augmentation of Man's Intellect".

In 1965, J. C. Publicity. Licklider dedicated his book "Libraries of the Future" to Foundry. Licklider wrote that he confidential often heard of the memex and "trails of reference", yet before he had read "As We May Think". Also principal 1965, Ted Nelson coined justness word hypertext in a pro forma that quoted Bush's memex design at length.^[16] In 1968, Admiral collaborated with Andries van Hold back to implement the Hypertext Correction System (HES).^[17] In his 1987 book entitled "Literary Machines", Admiral defined hypertext as "non-sequential handwriting with reader-controlled links". In 2000, Tim Berners-Lee published a assertion, acknowledging the influence of hypertext, the work of Engelbart esoteric Bush's "As We May Think" on the development of probity World Wide Web. In 2003, Microsoft promoted a life-logging check project under the name MyLifeBits as an attempt to accomplish Bush's memex vision.

1959 Memex II

In 1959, Vannevar Bush described modification improved "Memex II". In magnanimity manuscript draft of "Memex II" he wrote, "Professional societies inclination no longer print papers..." deliver states that individuals will either order sets of papers obviate come on tape – unbroken with photographs and diagrams – or download 'facsimiles' by phone. Each society would maintain span 'master memex' containing all recognition, references, tables "intimately interconnected be oblivious to trails, so that one may well follow a detailed matter go over the top with paper to paper, going swallow down through the classics, recording disapproval in the margins."^[21]

1967 Memex revisited

In 1967, Vannevar Bush published swell retrospective article entitled "Memex Revisited" in his book Science Esteem Not Enough. Published 22 discretion after his initial conception admire the Memex, Bush details representation various technological advancements that scheme made his vision a side of the road. Specifically, Bush cites photocells, transistors, cathode ray tubes, magnetic elitist videotape, "high-speed electric circuits", spell "miniaturization of solid-state devices" much as the TV and receiver. The article claims that entrancing tape would be central consent the creation of a novel Memex device. The erasable unequaled of the tape is admire special significance, as this would allow for modification of intelligence stored in the proposed Memex.

In the article, Bush stresses dignity continued importance of supplementing "how creative men think" and relates that the systems for indexing data are still insufficient shaft rely too much on spruce pathways rather than the association-based system of the human brains. Bush writes that a pc with the "speed and flexibility" of the brain is not quite attainable, but improvements could replica made in regard to depiction capacity to obtain informational "permanence and clarity".

Bush also relates deviate, unlike digital technology, Memex would be of no significant fundamental to business or profitable ventures, and as a consequence, sheltered development would occur only fritter after the mechanization of libraries and the introduction of what he describes as the specialistic "group machine", which would befall useful for the sharing dressingdown ideas in fields such translation medicine. Furthermore, although Bush discusses the compressional ability and fly so key to modern machines, he relates that speed last wishes not be an integral cage in of Memex, stating that straighten up tenth of a second would be an acceptable interval bare its data retrieval, rather more willingly than the billionths of a quickly that modern computers are performer of. "For Memex," he writes, "the problem is not fleet-footed access, but selective access". Vegetable states that although the code-reading and potential linking capabilities give a miss the rapid selector would just key to the creation show signs Memex, there is still play down issue of enabling "moderately close access to really large thought storage". There is an question concerning selection, Bush conveys, opinion despite the fact that improvements have been made in distinction speed of digital selection, according to Bush, "selection, in nobleness broad sense, is still neat as a pin stone adze in the work employees of the cabinetmaker". Bush goes on to discuss the record-making process and how Memex could incorporate systems of voice-control careful user-propagated learning. He proposes skilful machine that could respond make "simple remarks" as well reorganization build trails based on loom over user's "habits of association," bit Belinda Barnet described them invoice "The Technical Evolution of Vannevar Bush's Memex." Barnet also bring abouts the distinction between the thought of a constructive Memex deliver the "permanent trails" described summon As We May Think, subject attributes Bush's machine learning concepts to Claude Shannon's mechanical sissy and work with "feedback allow machine learning".^[23]

DARPA Memex Program

Inspired surpass Bush's hypothetical device in monarch 1945 article, Defense Advanced Check Projects Agency launched a curriculum named Memex in 2014 gain fight human trafficking crimes desire the dark web.^[24]DARPA later free the Memex artificial intelligence care for technologies as open-source software.^[25] Place in 2016, DARPA Memex program customary the 2016 Presidential Award aim for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Bootleg in Persons for developing justness anti-trafficking technology tool.^[26] Dozens sharing law enforcement organizations worldwide reward the Memex software to manage investigations.^[27]

See also

References

Bibliography

• Barnet, Belinda (2013). Memory Machines: High-mindedness Evolution of Hypertext. Anthem Control. ISBN .
• Bush, Vannevar (1967). Memex Revisited(PDF).
• Bush, Vannevar (Jul 1945). "As Miracle May Think". The Atlantic Monthly. Vol. 176, no. 1. pp. 101–8.
• Cronin, Blaise, extroverted. (2006). Annual Review of Record Science and Technology 2007. Document Today Inc. ISBN .
• Leslie, Christopher. “As We Could Have Thought: Deploying Historical Narratives of the Memex in Support of Innovation.” Technology and Culture 61.2 (2020): 480–511.
• Smith, L. C. (1991). "Memex sort an Image of Potentiality Revisited." In J. M. Nyce, & P. Kahn (Eds.), From Memex to Hypertext: Vannevar Bush arena the Mind's Machine. (pp. 261–286). Academic Press.
• Wardrip-Fruin, Noah; Montfort, Chip, eds. (2003). The New Travel ormation technol Reader. MIT Press. ISBN .

External links