New Laws of Life, The
- Synopsis
- Peter Day explores the implications of some of the principles that underlie new technology, which are beginning to have a profound effect on our daily lives. Big ideas - such as the Theory of Relativity - take decades to be translated into practical consequences but life in the 21st century will be shaped by powerful principles that are only just becoming widely known. Examples of these include: Gordon Moore’s ‘law’ that the number of transistors on a computer chip doubles every two years; Metcalfe’s ‘law’ that the usefulness of a computer or telephone network increases exponentially as more terminals are added; and George Gilder’s ‘law’ that once-scarce communications bandwidth is now almost free. Interviewees include Gordon Moore (billionaire founder of Intel), Robert Metcalfe, and the British scientist Freeman Dyson, at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton.
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Year of release
- 2005
- Year of production
- 2003
- Notes
- Broadcast on Radio 4 on 25/3/2003
- Subjects
- Electrical & Electronic Engineering; Technology
- Keywords
- computer networks; electronic engineering; electronic equipment; microelectronic devices; philosophy of science; technological innovation; telecommunication systems; bandwidth
Online availability
- URI
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/lawsoflife.shtml
- Price
- free
- Delivery
- Streamed
Production Company
- Name
BBC Radio 4
- Web
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 External site opens in new window
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