The electronics revolution.

The Industrial Revolution, an important milestone in the development of civilization, marked the extension of man's muscle power by the harnessing of mechanical energy. Today, we in RCA are participating in an even more profound revolution, the Electronics Revolution, which marks the extension of man's brain power by the harnessing of the swift, obedient electron. The first phase of the Electronics Revolution has been the extension of the information-gathering sensessight and hearing of the brain. This phase started .about fifty years ago and is already well developed. Radio signals span the globe and have extended man's senses across the enormous distances of outer space. The second phase of the revolution, the extension of the brain's reasoning powers, is just starting. This phase is the most exciting of all and will undoubtedly have the most profound effect upon civilization. Even the most vivid imagination is incapable of foreseeing the extent of the impact to be made by future electronic computers. The first electronic computer was made shortly after W orId War II, and RCA engineers were among the first to develop the basic electronic circuits. More recently, RCA has pioneered in developing and marketing a machine which uses the highly reliable and efficient transistor. This marvelous little semiconductor device is revolutionary in itself. It and the rapidly growing family of semiconductor devices are, in fact, the adrenalin that makes the pulse of electronics beat so rapidly today. Indeed, we are growing to realize that semiconductor devices are even more potent than we first imaginedthey now promise to perform almost all of the circuit and device functions in a computer. Furthermore, they ultimately will be able to perform all these functions in an unbelievably small space, at high speed, with high reliability, and at very low cost. The amazing compactness and capability of the human brain itself is the measure of what is yet to be achieved through electronics. The years ahead will see a merging of biology, physics, and electronic information-handling techniques. Devices, circuits, and systems will be integrated to an extent far beyond anything we know today. All of us will be hard pressed to learn new disciplines and to keep pace with new inventions and developments. The Electronics Revolution will provide an increasingly interesting and challenging future for us in RCA. We are indeed in the mainstream of human progress. To measure up to the challenge will be very difficult, but the rewards for a good job will be great. I .1