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2019 | Book

Introduction Read chapter Read first chapter

The Ascent of GIM, the Global Intelligent Machine

A History of Production and Information Machines

Author: Prof. Teun Koetsier

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Book Series : History of Mechanism and Machine Science

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

In the concluding chapters of this book the author introduces GIM, the Global Intelligent Machine. GIM is a huge global hybrid machine, a combination of production machinery, information machinery and mechanized networks. In the future it may very well encompass all machinery on the globe.

The author discusses the development of machines from the Stone Age until the present and pays particular attention to the rise of the science of machines and the development of the relationship between science and technology.

The first production and information tools were invented in the Stone Age. In the Agricultural empires tools and machinery became more complex. During and after the Industrial Revolution the pace of innovation accelerated. In the 20th century the mechanization of production, information processing and networks became increasingly sophisticated. GIM is the culmination of this development.

GIM is no science fiction. GIM exists and is growing and getting smarter and smarter. Individuals and institutions are trying to control parts of this giant global robot. By looking at its history and by putting GIM in the context of the current developments, this book seeks to reach a fuller understanding of this phenomenon.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Introduction
Abstract
In the millions of years separating us from the first human like creatures, biological evolution led to Homo sapiens. Somewhere along the line, next to natural evolution by variation and selection, cultural evolution started to play a role. This led to the gradual introduction and improvement of more and more tools to enhance the two main activities of man, the physical intervention in nature and the gathering and processing of information. With the Industrial Revolution the development of both production and information technology accelerated. In the 20th century the development culminated in the Global Intelligent Machine.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 2. The Rise of Homo Sapiens
Abstract
Already animals use production and information tools and so did our ancestors, the hominids. With the appearance of our species, Homo sapiens, and in particular in the Stone Age Revolution, major progress was made, resulting not only in more refined and more complex production tools, but also in more complex information tools. In this respect the development of human language was absolutely crucial for everything that followed. Whistle and drum languages are interesting variations that nicely illustrate human ingenuity.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 3. Tools in the Early Agricultural Empires
Abstract
After the domestication of animals and plants a stable economic surplus was created, which led to the creation of large societies with soldiers, craftsmen, artisans and religious and governmental institutions staffed by full time officials. The rise of these early agricultural empires is accompanied by extreme fertility in inventions. The wheel, the technology to build monumental architecture, clocks, complete writing, and mathematics are only a few examples.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 4. The Axial Age and the Birth of Western Science
Abstract
In the first millennium BCE influential individuals in China, in India, in Persia, and among the Jews and the Greeks, liberated themselves from the mythical heritage. In this period, the Axial Age, philosophy was born. Moreover, also in politics, a more rational approach became visible. This was also the context of the appearance of Greek science. It led to pure mathematics, Aristotle’s logic, and the first books on a science of machines.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 5. Machines in Classical Antiquity
Abstract
Vitruvius’ Ten Books on Architecture covers all major aspects of Roman engineering. The book illustrates that in classical antiquity many new inventions were made in production machinery. New information machines appeared as well. The anaphoric clock, the astrolabe and the Antikythera mechanism are particularly striking examples.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 6. The Middle Ages
Abstract
Even in 1400 CE a neutral observer who looked around in the world would not have guessed that European culture would within a few centuries become leading. Such an observer would have identified Chinese culture and Islamic culture as in many ways superior. And if he would have been willing to bet, that is where he would have put his money, not on Europe. Yet, the West was about to wake up.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 7. The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution
Abstract
The invention of the printing press had an huge impact and so had the discovery of the America’s by Columbus. The Renaissance was characterized by immense optimism. The sky seemed the limit. Da Vinci was in this sense very much a representative of his time. The theory of simple machines finally reached a satisfactory form. Scientists dreamt of  universal problem solving methods.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 8. The First Wave of Industrial Revolution: Cotton Textiles and Pig Iron
Abstract
A unique combination of factors present in England was responsible for the occurrence of the Industrial Revolution. The Scientific Revolution was one of them, although its role is often underestimated. The expertise of the clockmakers was another one. The first wave of Industrial Revolution was followed by other waves that would change the world beyond recognition.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 9. The Second Wave of Industrial Revolution: Railroads and Steel
Abstract
With the second wave of Industrial Revolution the process of globalization gained speed. The growing complexity of management led to problems of control that required the development of new information technology. The first serious steps towards science based technology were made.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 10. More Scientific Technology
Abstract
With the third wave of Industrial Revolution science definitely started to play a decisive role in technology. Control problems continued to lead to information machinery. Hollerith’ electromagnetic statistical machines and Kelvin’s tide predictors are only two impressive examples.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 11. Electronic Brains
Abstract
The fourth wave of Industrial Revolution led to the first programmable computers. Alan Turing defined what would later be called the research area called artificial intelligence. Developments accelerate. Computers got smaller, faster and smarter. The Internet was born. In the fifth wave, the World Wide Web and the smartphone appeared.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 12. Towards the Global Intelligent Machine
Abstract
The Internet of Things is the Internet expanded with massive automated information gathering. It is an information machine. The next step will be that the IoT will develop into the Global Intelligent Machine. It not only gathers and processes autonomously enormous amounts of information but at the same time autonomously intervenes massively in nature.
Teun Koetsier
Chapter 13. Epilogue
Abstract
GIM evokes associations with science fiction stories. Are we on our way to a Brave New World? We are not!
Teun Koetsier
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
The Ascent of GIM, the Global Intelligent Machine
Author
Prof. Teun Koetsier
Copyright Year
2019
Electronic ISBN
978-3-319-96547-5
Print ISBN
978-3-319-96546-8
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96547-5

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