NATS 1700 6.00 B - Computers, Information and Society  When we
reflect upon the impact of technology on society, computer and
information technologies represent canonical examples. Yet, no
singular technological invention or event, no matter how ground
breaking, can account for the creation of the digital electronic
computer. Similarly, no digital computer, no matter how powerful
or versatile, can singularly explain the rapid transition of our
civilization into that of consumers of digital information. The
computer and information technologies are examples of high
technologies in constant motion, advancing at a speed that makes
projections of their future milestones and impact difficult
without a systematic approach grounded in their history and in
present technological social and scientific context. Indeed, no
invention occurs without such a context created in part by a
chain of earlier discoveries, inventions, or contributions.
This course provides a comprehensive look at the historical
development, presen