How the Computer Changed History

How the Computer Changed History — page 5 — different task but he started thinking about the interconnections problem He began sketching and making notes and he came up with the idea of putting all of the wires resistors and capacitors onto one chip to make a complete circuit He developed the integrated circuit Also called a chip the integrated circuit was made of semiconductor material and it was one half the size of a paper clip Although there were still some problems the idea was revolutionary No one previously had figured out how to eliminate all of the soldered connections required to make a circuit The integrated circuit solved the interconnections problem Physical materials can be categorized by how well they conduct electricity Conductors allow electricity to flow freely whereas insulators do not Semiconductors fall in the middle because they can conduct electricity or not depending on how they are stimulated They can be stimulated electrically thermally with heat or physically Common semiconductor materials are silicon and germanium At first germanium was the preferred material for computers because it was easier to work with than silicon However engineers realized silicon performed better and by the end of the 1950s silicon was the preferred material Another man Robert Noyce independently came up with his own idea for an integrated circuit a few months later The parts were connected better than they were on Kilby's circuit making it more appropriate for mass production As a result of both men's work smaller circuits could be made manufacturing could be automated and technologies 10

How the Computer Changed History — page 6 — could advance faster and further Many of the electronics products we use today could not have been developed without the integrated circuit The history of the computer and its development is a story of many contributors building on previous work Also as with Jack Kilby Robert Noyce and the integrated circuit several important stages of development occurred in which people worked on similar ideas sometimes without realizing it until later ROBERT NOYCE Robert Noyce is considered a coinventor of the integrated circuit The company he cofounded Fairchild Semiconductor applied for a patent for the circuit Jack Kilby's company had also applied but Fairchild received the patent Noyce later went on to cofound Intel Corporation one of the largest manufacturers of integrated circuits in the world Noyce was one of the first scientists to work in the area now called Silicon Valley and was nicknamed the Mayor of Silicon Valley He died in 1990 at age 62 Computers in Everyday Life The effect of the integrated circuit breakthrough has been far reaching Nowadays computers are small portable and a part of virtually every aspect of daily life But without the integrated circuit that would not have been possible Laptops and tablets have become the norm in offices schools and homes Watch a congested street crowded bus or busy coffee shop and the majority of people are likely using a handheld computer called smartphone a

How the Computer Changed History — page 7 — THE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT Whether using them to text talk or exchange e mail computers have IN SPACE become a foundation of communication throughout the world The integrated circuit and the Apollo space program which started in 1961 had an Computers are also embedded in everyday life in countless ways important relationship The Apollo Guidance Computer which had an integrated circuit that may be less obvious Many if not most household machines use helped navigate the spacecraft to the computer technology From washing machines to microwaves and moon Experts also say the need for better remote controls these devices incorporate computer technology technology for the space program pushed Outside of the house a trip to the grocery store getting cash from an faster advances for technology in everyday life Because research and development of ATM or taking public transportation all involve computers too new technology is so expensive some argue On a larger scale computers are an integral part of fields such as it might not have progressed so far and so fast without the financial input from NASA medicine business and science Consider a simple visit to the doctor's office where patient records are now computerized Most medical tests involve a computer at some stage in the process And computers now allow doctors to perform extremely delicate and complex surgeries In business computers are essential for record keeping and data processing It would be almost unimaginable to think of an office or store without a computer And the ways computers are involved in science would likely be impossible to count Computers are an important part of many industries and many classrooms use computers daily

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