History of Digital Revolution

Catalog description

This course will explore the history of the digital revolution from the 1830s to the present. It will begin with Ada Lovelace and the conception of a general-purpose computer, and it will culminate with the creation of social networks and the sharing economy. Special attention will be paid to the three great inventions that combined to create the digital age: the computer, the microchip, and the internet. The themes will include the importance of collaboration in innovation, the need to connect the humanities and the sciences, and how networked digital technology disrupts traditional hierarchies. In that context, we will look at what makes a successful digital business.