The original concept that influenced figures like Engelbart and led to the creation of the memex.
“As We May Think” is an essay written by Vannevar Bush in 1945, foreseeing many aspects of the information society and exerting significant influence. Initially published in July 1945 in The Atlantic, a condensed version was reprinted around September 1945, coinciding with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Bush expressed concerns that scientific efforts should be directed towards understanding rather than destruction and introduced the concept of a collective memory device called the memex to make knowledge more accessible. He believed that through this device, the information explosion could be transformed into a knowledge explosion. Conceptualization This article is an expanded reconstruction of Bush’s 1939 essay “Mechanization and the Record”, where he described a device that could combine lower-level technologies to achieve higher-level organized knowledge, similar to human memory processes. Shortly after the publication of this essay, Bush coined the term “memex” in a letter to the editor of Fortune magazine. This letter became the main body of “As We May Think,” with an introduction and conclusion added. The memex described by Bush was based on technologies considered futuristic at the time, involving high-resolution microfilm reels connected through electric-mechanical control to multiple screen viewers and cameras. The memex was essentially depicted as a machine stored in a “piece of furniture,” reflecting a library of collective knowledge. Following its publication in The Atlantic, the article was also reprinted in Life magazine on September 10, 1945, with illustrations of the proposed memex desk and automatic typewriter added. Bush also discussed technologies like dry photography and microphotography, detailing their potential future uses. For instance, Bush mentioned in the essay: “The combination of optical projection and the shrinking of photos has produced results in microfilm for scholarly purposes already, and the possibilities are highly suggestive.”
Realization of the Concept “As We May Think” somewhat foresaw many technologies invented after its publication (hypertext, personal computers, the internet, World Wide Web, voice recognition, online encyclopedias, etc.). “Entirely new forms of encyclopedias will appear, ready made with a mesh of associative trails running through them, ready to be dropped into the memex and there amplified.” Bush envisioned displaying multiple articles and images on one screen, allowing users to write comments, save them, and recall them later. He believed in creating links between related articles to map the thought processes and paths of each user, making them accessible for others to experience. Wikipedia is an example where this vision has been partially realized, as elements of articles can reference other related topics. A user’s browser history maps the trail of interactive paths, though typically only accessible to the user who created it. Bush’s article also laid the foundation for new media. Doug Engelbart, after reading this article shortly after its publication, kept the memex in mind and eventually began work that led to the invention of groundbreaking technologies like the mouse, word processor, and hyperlink, enabling a new media concept. Today, storage capabilities far exceed what Vannevar Bush imagined. “The Encyclopædia Britannica could be reduced to the size of a matchbox. A library of a million volumes could be compressed into one end of a desk.”> — Vannevar Bush [3] On the other hand, it still uses the artificial method of indexing information as described by Bush: “When any kind of data is placed in storage, it is filed alphabetically or numerically and the information is then traced from subclass to subclass (if found). It can only exist in one place unless duplicates are used.” — Vannevar Bush [3] This description is similar to the general file systems of modern computer operating systems (such as FAT, NTFS, ext3), and it cannot easily achieve the associative indexing imagined by Bush. Prospects in the Use of Science Bush argues that scientists should undertake a massive task of making access to our ever-changing store of knowledge more efficient. Over the years, inventions have extended people’s physical capabilities but have not extended their mental capabilities. He suggests that if properly developed, there are means available to society to utilize and command the knowledge of the ages. He implies that the completion of these peaceful means should be the primary goal of scientists [3]. Through this process, society would evolve beyond existing knowledge and be able to break free from the infinite loop of calculations. With the confidence that we can find what we need when we need it, we would gain the privilege of forgetting many things that do not need to be immediately at hand, making mathematics actually effective in solving advanced problems in chemistry, metallurgy, and biology [1]. To illustrate the importance of this concept, consider the process involved in “simple” shopping: “Several things need to happen every time a credit sale is made. The inventory needs to be updated, credit needs to be given to the salesman, entries need to be made in the general accounts, and most importantly, the customer needs to be billed” [1]. Thanks to the convenience of central devices in managing these transactions quickly, employees can focus on important aspects like sales and advertising. Indeed, “science has provided the fastest communication between individuals, has provided a record of ideas, allows those records to be manipulated and retrieved, and enables knowledge to evolve not only in the individual’s lifetime but across the life of a species” [1]. Improved technology serves as an extension of our abilities, allowing for more memory to be allocated for more practical tasks, much like how external hard drives function with computers. Another crucial role of technology in practicality is in the methods of association and selection. “There may be millions of great ideas and records of experiences, all locked within the stone walls of acceptable architectural form. But if scholars can only patiently unearth one idea per week, integration will never catch up with the present situation” [1]. Bush believed that the tools of his time lacked this function, but he was attentive to the emergence and development of ideas like Memex. Bush concludes his essay as follows:> “The application of science has taught humans how to build adequate homes and live healthily. It has also enabled them to possess cruel weapons that can be used to throw people at each other. These applications may surround humans with truly vast records and allow them to grow it into the wisdom of the species’ experience. Humans may perish in conflict before they can truly harness these records for the greater good. However, it seems extremely unfortunate to halt this process or lose hope in its outcomes at a stage where science applications cater to human needs and desires. — Vannevar Bush [3]