100 words 018

Steven Johnson has oft waxed lyrical on the benefits of keeping a spark file—the modern equivalent of a nineteenth century commonplace book.

I started keeping a spark file. But I was keeping it the late lamented Editorially so my experiment was cut short. This is far as I got…

The transatlantic telegraph cable :: the space elevator.

The web :: the patent that never was.

The Mechanical Turk as design fiction, influencing Babbage.

These are the ramblings of a madman. But I might be able to use some of this—I need to prepare a new talk for later this year.