When did the Information Age begin?
The Information Age began in the mid-20th century. Its onset has been linked to the development of the first working transistor in 1947, invented by John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain at Bell Labs.
Questions about Information Age
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the Information Age?
The Information Age is a historical period defined by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during the Industrial Revolution, to an economy centered on information technology. It was enabled by advances in computer miniaturization, internet communication, and semiconductor technology.
Who invented the first transistor in the Information Age?
The first working transistor, a germanium-based point-contact device, was invented in 1947 by John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain while working under William Shockley at Bell Labs. It laid the foundations for modern digital computers.
What was the first single-chip microprocessor of the Information Age?
The Intel 4004 was the first single-chip microprocessor, released by Intel in 1971. It was developed by Federico Faggin using his silicon-gate MOS chip technology, and it laid the foundations for the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s.
How did the internet develop during the Information Age?
The public was first introduced to the concepts behind the Internet in 1969, when a message was sent over the ARPANET. Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989, and it became publicly accessible in 1991.
How much of the world's stored information became digital during the Information Age?
In the late 1980s, less than 1% of the world's technologically stored information was in digital format. By 2007 this rose to 94%, and by 2014 it exceeded 99%.
How did the Information Age affect manufacturing jobs?
In the United States, the number of people employed in manufacturing fell from 17,500,000 in January 1972 to 11,500,000 in August 2010, while manufacturing value rose 270%. Automation and computerization produced higher productivity coupled with net job loss in manufacturing.