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Some would say becoming a success too soon is a curse.
Fortunately for Norbert Wiener he continued his work throughout his life and
ultimately forged a new discipline for engineering, computer science and
social science. Wiener was frequently consulted by the military and
asked to develop equipment that would outsmart the enemy. He began to
research communication and control with respect to both man and machine.
His research led him to coin the term "cybernetics", a word derived from the
Greek word for "steersman". His work has had an invaluable impact on
every facet of computer science and much has yet to be fully realized.
It is particularly striking that a man so engrossed in engineering and
mathematics concurrently acknowledges the power harnessed within human
beings. If Wiener had lived another thirty years, he would certainly
have made significant contributions to the field of human-computer
interaction. |
