Information Revolution after WWII

Information Revolution; availability of information and the changes in its storage and dissemination due to development of computers in the second half of the century (post ww2)

95% of all information is digitalized

Important Inventions related to information revolution

1455 - Gutenberg’s Printing Press - print and disseminate information more efficiently

1837 Analytic Engine - Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace, first design for a general all purpose computer, wasn’t limited to just mathematical calculations as its precursor was

1870 Telephone - Alexander Graham Bell

1950’s - Turing’s Invention of the Computer - Turning Machine, by Alan Turing used to

1970’s - Satellite and Personal Computers

1980’s - Tim Burners Lee at CERN, - Idea of Internet, WWW, created first website in 1991

Information Revolution had profound impact on democracy

• those who have power have moved to those who control information not those who control energy → moved from industrial to informational society

• harder for dictators and totalitarian regimes to control information

• Reasons behind Arab Revolution against dictators in Libya and Iran - helped rebellious social movement to organize and mobilize, posing a greater challenge to state power.

• Social Divide in access to information - deepens social justice and inequalities, we don’t have the same access to information and the ability to understand and question it → new educational and teaching methods which encouraged critical debate and encourages students to question knowledge and help create knowledge