Lesson 6: The Information Age In This Lesson * Understand how technology has transform society. + Discuss the transformation and developments of technologies in the Information Age. ‘+ Become familiar with the personalities who significantly contributed in the advancement of the information age. + Learn the innovations and Inventions that were made in the information age. ‘Technology has the power to transform =~ society. The most famous example of thisis German craftsman Johannes Gutenberg’s ° invention of the printing press in the |.” fifteenth century. Washington Post © columnist Robert J. Samuelson sums up the F- vast changes that occurred as a'result of the = invention of printing: "Gutenberg’s press 5 Ted to mass Iiteracy, fostered the Protestant Reformation (by undermining the clergy’ theological monopoly) and, through the (=: easy exchange of information, enabled the scientific revolution.” Subsequent 202%: technological advances are also often | 52) evaluated in terms of the effect they had! ‘on society. James Watt's steam engine, “*" for example, is often credited with starting the Industrial Revolution in England. Today, the Internet and associated information technologies are said to be behind an information revolution that is transforming the way people live and work. Unlike the printing press or the steam engine, no single person invented the Internet. Instead it was the culmination of advances in computer technology, reductions in the cost of manufacturing personal computers and the resulting increase in their popularity, and the evolution of networking technology. The Internet is essentially a vast network of computers. Importantly, it is a decentralized network; it does not depend on a central mainframe computer as networks did in the 1950s and 1960s. The idea for a vast, decentralized computer network originated with, the Cold War and the U.S. Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). ARPA, scientists and engineers wanted to create a computer network in which any computer could exchange information with any other computer. The destruction of one or more parts of the network —perhaps from a Soviet attack— would not disrupt Communication between other computers in the system. :Science, Technology. 4 1960, TPAhtters were first linked to form ARPANI researc eUBHOUL the 1970s al 1980s, as compu Brow recnal ehineers began Tinking iver comp ci Sranching haphazardly and quite beyond the: Came to be kag a nazaraly and quite bey puters 0 ART A iginal reat0ee i Many people associate the internet with e-mail, E-mail is only one of Ane many ways that information ean be shared! over the Internet, but e-mail was one CF Ne mest Popular uses for the Internet in its early years, Researchers welcomed €-Ma41 48 4 ast easy, and free way to communicate with col- leagul Researchers also expé val with different ways of transporting files across the Toternet, In order to share computer files across the Internet, the computers on the network need to share a common protocol, or standard, for how the data will be transported electronically. The most famous such protocol—and the one that propelled the Internet to nationwide popularity —is Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML TITML was invented by Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer programmer who developed the protocol as a convenient way of sharing documents over the Tnternet, In 1991 FITMIL became the basis for the World Wide Web, a subset of the Internet in which HTML documents are grouped to form websites that are linked to one another (Tore, 2003) ‘The Information Age began around the 1970s and is still going on today. It is also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, or New Media Age. This era brought about a time period in which people could access information and knowledge easily Influences of the past on the Information Age ‘The Renaissance influenced the Information Age by creating the idea invent while too advanced for the time, the basic idea was used to develop modann peers The Renaissance also changed literature. At first, only booker thet told cere al gion and religious heroes were written. During the Renaissance, peovle teven te write realistic books and not just religious stories. People’s mindset abenk ae eaves changed. It was no longer about what humans could do for God, bee en es could do for themselves. This way of thinking is ealled humanies . ‘The Scientific Revolution changed the modern era scientists such as Galileo, Copernicus, and Sir Isaac Newt the way for modern tools, inventions and innovations, by introducing important fon. Their discoveries paved The Industrial Revolution brought about major ch, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technole Profound effect on the social, economic, and cultural ¢ ‘anges in agriculture, By. This era had. @ ‘Onditions of the world Inventions and Innovations of the Information Age son woes suay tt entions that come ee er pas ue computer. The tnternet a EK the touch of a button: about becaus lowed pence OF the Information ple to access informationScience, Technology, and Society- The Internet has turned society into homebodies, individuals who do everything from the comfort of their homes instead of venturing outdoors to complete tasks, People can do everything online, shopping, communicating, bill paying, working, education, entertainment, even ordering food. This may be good, but it has also made usa very lazy and uneducated society. Tim Berners-Lee, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are several important people of the Information Age. Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web. Jobs who was created the first effective personal computer called the Apple 1 The Apple 1 was a huge advancement in computer sciences and it carved the path for the computers we have now. Apple has created iPhone, iPod, iPad, iMac, and. J Office w x P ° N Gates is also a huge force in the’ Information Age. He founded Microsoft, which creates almost everything that has to do with computers. Microsoft develops programs like Microsoft Office, Windows, and many other influential products Changes of the Information Age ‘The Information Age has changed people, technology, science, economies, culture, and even the way people think. The Internet is arguably the most prominent innovation of the Information Age. The Internet changed the way people do everything. It has made people lazier, but it also makes a large amount of the population smarter. ‘The Information Agehasmade industrial countries stronger. With online companies being some of the most successful and economically stimulating businesses out there, economies receive more from them and keep our world turning. People are becoming more mature and more educated due to things like the computer and the Internet. ‘This time period has reshaped governments, with new technology being created every day. Governments can now have more advanced and effecti-ve militaries. Because of things like the Internet, new laws had to be put in place to stop hacking, piracy, and identity theft, Impacts of the Information Age twit EBD flickr ‘The Information Age brought about tions. Many gry SER? Sista Sa i Ee ant social media developed and the world Googl yi a si ey Ber ik fas not Boon the same since, Foople learn new languages easier and many books have boon translated into. different languages, 50 Pinterest [FY] people around the world can become more faceb sok. 3 Cdueated. However, the Information Age is JEEVEY not ait good. ‘There are people in the world Ena CEB sesgo, huge criminal ts Ae eeaideniial easier, and some that believe they can : on organizati 'y can live their entire life through and obtai information to continue theit way of life. Jobs have alsO