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

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British Universities Film & Video Council