From Maxwell to the Internet
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- TL;DR
- This book chapter traces the scientific advancements that laid the foundation for today's digital computers, beginning with Maxwell's equations and the controlled use of electricity.
- Problem
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- Method
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- Results
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- Contributions
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- Limitations
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- Takeaways
- Groundbreaking physics discoveries led to the invention of the transistor and integrated circuits, which ultimately enabled mobile communications, the internet, and the modern digital economy.
- Applications
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- Topics
- Electromagnetism, history of computing, transistors, digital circuits, internet history
- For industry
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- Why it matters
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Abstract
The chapter covers the developments in science that led to the digital computers of today. It all started with the understanding of electromagnetic phenomena, made possible by the discovery of Maxwell’s equations, and all the developments that followed and made possible the controlled used of electricity. Following up on the great developments of the last half of the 19th century, the great discoveries in physics led to the invention of the transistor, one of the most important creations of humanity. Transistors made integrated circuits with millions and billions of transistors possible, thanks to Moore’s law, which predicted an exponential development of digital circuit technology. These complex digital circuits made possible mobile communications, digital computers, the internet and, ultimately, the digital economy that makes modern society possible.