The Year Was 1951

9 minute read

Jun 10, 2024

Note: If this is the first A Short Distance Ahead post you are reading, please note that the essay format was intended to be experimental and has evolved over time. Specifically, later posts include proper names and places, and in general are written in a different style and format.

The year was 1951.

Many were still buzzing about the question posed by The Mathematician in the paper he wrote one year prior, asking: can machines think? In his famous paper, The Mathematician presented nine objections to the question, including the belief that thinking requires a soul.

“In attempting to construct such machines we should not be irreverently usurping His power of creating souls, any more than we are in the procreation of children: rather we are, in either case, instruments of His will providing mansions for the souls that He creates.”

Still, The Mathematician foresaw a future where the distinction between human and machine intelligence would blur. Being a member of a group that had long been marginalized and persecuted, he understood that the blurring of those lines had the power to create both opportunity and oppression.

Artificial Intelligence

As the year unfolded, the quest to more deeply understand communication and computation found a significant figure at its forefront. The Information Theorist was a man trained to understand the intricacies of electrical systems. As a young boy, he developed a fascination with the inner workings of machines used to transmit messages via electrical signals across vast distances. He was known for his eccentric personality and wide-ranging interests. He was a master of juggling, unicycling, and chess, and his playful approach to problem-solving often led him to unconventional solutions and brilliant ideas. One such idea The Information Theorist developed a few years before 1951, was an idea about information itself.

Before The Information Theorist’s idea, people didn't really think of information as something you could measure or study like you would with shapes or numbers. Information was just stuff like messages, pictures, or songs. But, The Information Theorist changed all that by figuring out that information could be broken down into tiny bits, kind of like how you can build anything using just a few different shapes. It didn't matter anymore where the information came from, who sent it, or what it meant.1

In 1951, The Information Theorist was working with his wife, also a Mathematician, and they built a clever machine with a small robot, made to look like a mouse. The mouse could find its way through a maze all by itself. It had a special "brain" made up of lots of little switches that would remember the paths it took and help it make decisions about where to go next. The mouse showed how machines could learn and solve problems on their own. In other words, the mouse didn’t need a human to tell it what to do every step of the way. The mouse explored the maze, made mistakes and hit dead-ends, but it eventually figured out the right path by remembering what worked and what didn't.2

Yet everyone knew that the mouse’s “brain” was not learning like a human brain, which was exactly what two other scientists were attempting to create, not far from where the machine mouse was made.

Inspired by pioneering research from almost a decade earlier, done by a neurophysiologist and a logician who had developed a groundbreaking model of how the brain works,3 The Cognitivist, a man who studied the nature of mind, partnered with another thinker to create a machine designed to work more like how a brain works. The machine had a lot of tiny parts that were connected to each other, similar to how brain cells are connected. These parts could send signals to each other, and the scientists could change how strong the connections were between them based on what signals they got. This allowed the machine to learn from its experiences, just like how a brain learns.4

Commercialization of processing and managing data also took a significant leap forward. Two major computing machines, built an ocean apart, became commercially available for the first time marking the beginning of an era of widespread computing and data processing.5 6

Additionally, a man who worked on projects with The Mathematician wrote what became known as one of the first programs, a set of instructions that played checkers. The clever algorithm showcased the potential for machines to exhibit intelligent behavior, laid the groundwork for future advancements in the field of AI, and cemented game playing as one of the first and primary tasks undertaken in the development of artificial minds.7

Culture

In a groundbreaking story collection, a visionary writer, The Futurist, introduced a set of ethical guidelines for robots known as The Three Laws.8 These laws, which prioritized human safety and the obedience of robots, became a cornerstone of science fiction and sparked discussions about the implications of advanced machines’ minds and robotics on society. The Futurist also published the first novel in what would become an iconic series of books that explored the concept of predicting and shaping the future of civilization through the application of advanced mathematics and social science. These fictions would go on to influence generations of thinkers, inspired to bring them into reality.9

Meanwhile, a young writer, The NonConformist, broken by his experiences in the great war, captured the hearts and minds of readers with a novel that delved into the psyche of a disillusioned teenager, offering a raw and honest portrayal of adolescence and the struggles of growing up in a complex world. The novel's protagonist became a symbol of youthful rebellion and the search for authenticity, resonating deeply with readers and solidifying the book's place as a literary classic.10

Thanks to The Innovator, a man who broadcasted sounds from a city in the middle of one of the largest nations, a new sound was born. The Innovator, a disc jockey, began playing a unique mix of music, called: rhythm and blues, country, and jazz, which he dubbed "rock and roll." This energetic and rebellious new genre quickly captured the attention of young listeners, setting the stage for a cultural revolution that would reshape the landscape for generations to come.11

And then, a major electronics company, brought a new level of vibrancy and realism to the small screen through a color television commercial broadcast that would reach less than fifty homes, but would go on to transform the entertainment industry, captivating audiences and paving the way humans experienced entertainment in their home for ever to come.12

Economy

Meanwhile, an organization that facilitated the exchange of information over distances, reached an unprecedented benchmark. The organization boasted a staggering one million individuals known as stockholders - people who in exchange for a small piece of ownership in the organization. This achievement was a testament to the company's robust growth and the increasing importance of communication technology in the modern world. The leader of the organization said this on that day:

It ought to be a normal thing for every family to own a part of the country in which they live. But in the history of mankind it has not been normal. In this country it is. If you add up those who own houses, farms or all or part of a business, you will have the greater part of the population. You may define that as capitalism. I think it is more accurate to say that it is the natural result of freedom, for any man who is free to do so tries to accumulate for himself, his family and for good causes in which he is interested. He will naturally do this if some government does not stop him. So in this free country we have millions of owners and as it is an industrial country we have millions of owners of industry. 13

Politics

1951 marked a significant turning point in the conflict over a small piece of land, divided by an invisible line. One group received support from a powerful ally. The other group was backed by a coalition of supporters. Both sides reached an agreement to cease their aggression and mark a clear boundary between their respective territories.14

And meanwhile, in one of the supporting nations, a husband and wife faced accusations of sharing valuable information with a rival group. Despite their claims of innocence, the pair were subjected to a process to determine their culpability. The outcome of the process, which resulted in the husband and wife being killed, reflected the pervasive atmosphere of mistrust and apprehension that characterized the relationships between various groups on the planet during this period.15

Science

In the realm of scientific discovery, a group of researchers identified a remarkable type of human cell – a tiny building block that makes up all living things. The cells that were discovered possessed the unique ability to survive and multiply indefinitely, thus providing an invaluable tool for medical research and paving the way for numerous breakthroughs in the understanding and treatment of various ailments. The researchers took these cells from a marginalized individual, and because of the pigment of her skin, they did so without proper consent or compensation, planting the seeds for a story of injustice and inequality that would only come to light long into the future.16

At the same time, scientists in several nations engaged in a race to develop the biggest, most dangerous weapon that worked by using a special kind of energy derived from forcing together tiny particles in a certain way.Having such a powerful weapon made everyone worried about what would happen if it was ever used, raising profound questions about the future survival of the planet's inhabitants.17

As the arms race pitted nations against each other, the first commercial flight across the vast ocean separating two major landmasses, bridged the ability of individuals to traverse great distances in a matter of hours.18

And, finally, researchers made a groundbreaking discovery that created a special kind of medicine that female adults could take in pill form to help them decide when they wanted to have a baby. Before this medicine, women didn't have much control over when they would have children. This small pill gave women more power over their own bodies and lives, changing a lot of things in society and making a lot of people very angry. 19

And then, a short distance ahead, came the year 1952.