Information Storage, Retrieval and Human Processing

[Debbie Abilock <debbie@NUEVA.PVT.K12.CA.US>]

LMnetters:

This information from a lecture at the University of Maryland is worth
snagging for your files:


 Date:     Tue, 10 Jan 95 12:47:27 PST
>From: "Kathryn Kerns"   <kathy.kerns@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
To: GENREF@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU
Subject:  Gen.Ref.==fyi


----------------------------Original message----------------------------
        I am a graduate student at the College of Library and Information
Services, University of Maryland, College Park.  I thought the following
information garnered from a lecture from one of my classes might throw
an interesting perspective on this thread.  It shows an historical view
on information storage and retrieval over the past 7000 years.

INFORMATION STORAGE

3000 B.C.       Clay tablets    1 character/1 cubic inch (cci)
1450 A.D.       Printed page    500 cci
1990s           Optical disk    125,000,000,000 cci

COMPUTATION

5000 B.C.       Abacus          2-4 instructions per second (psi)
1945 A.D.       Computer        100 ips
1960            Computer        100,000 ips
1970s           Computer        1,000,000 ips
1980s           Computer        10,000,000 ips
1990s           Computer        1,000,000,000 ips

TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION

4000 B.C.       Messenger       .01 words per minutes (wpm)
1844 A.D.       Telegraph       50-60 wpm
1980s           Cable/fiber     1,000,000,000 wpm
1990s           Fiber           100,000,000,000 wpm

---Most interesting of all ---

HUMAN INFORMATION PROCESSING

4000 B.C.       Written language        300 wpm
Today           Written language        300 wpm

4000 B.C.       Visual images           100,000,000 bits per glance
Today           Visual images           100,000,000 bits per glance

4000 B.C.       Spoken language         120 wpm
Today           Spoken language         120 wpm

        The point is, despite enormous technological leaps, the human capacity
for understanding and assimilation has remained constant.  While we have
complexity, we suffer with confusion, overload and bottlenecks.  There is
a definite need for reflection upon the best means to adapt and
accommodate what the machine has to offer with human limitations.

Beth Clough
College of Library and Information Services
University of Maryland
College Park




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Debbie Abilock              "It is important that students bring a certain
The Nueva School            ragamuffin barefoot irreverence to their studies;
6565 Skyline Blvd.          they are not here to worship what is known,
Hillsborough, CA 94010      but to question it."  (Jacob Bronowski)
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