Oxford University Press, 2004, 340 Pages
Computers you notice. They sit on your desk and hum, ever smaller, ever faster, and always obsolete if bought longer ago than last week. But the equally impressive technology that tus millions of terminals into a global network is less obvious. The phone line that comes into your house probably still pushes electrons through metal. But not far away, the signal will join millions of others relayed down fiber optic cables by laser. Jeff Hecht's fascinating account of this undersung technology goes back 150 years to find the origins of fiber optics. Then he chronicles the many ingenious and determined engineers who fashioned it into a technology that festoons the globe with cables carrying pulses of photons. It was harder than pioneering copper links because supplanting an existing technology needs more persuasion than establishing the first one. And there was competition from the satellite industry, as well as unexpected setbacks, such as sharks who ignored copper but chewed fiber optic cables. Hecht tells a good tale, combining a light joualistic touch with a scholarly knowledge of the industry he has covered for over two decades. The story is not over yet, but this is a rich account of how we got this far in a technology that really has fueled a revolution.
Introduction: Building a City of Light
Guiding Light and Luminous Fountains (1841–1890)
Fibers of Glass
The Quest for Remote Viewing: Television and the Legacy of Sword Swallowers (1895–1940)
A Critical Insight: The Birth of the Clad Optical Fiber (1950–1955)
99 Percent Perspiration: The Birth of an Industry (1954–1960)
A Vision of the Future: Communicating with Light (1880–1960)
The Laser Stimulates the Emission of New Ideas (1960–1969)
‘‘The Only Thing Left Is Optical Fibers’’ (1960–1969)
Trying to Sell a Dream (1965–1970)
Breakthrough: The Clearest Glass in the World (1966–1972)
Recipes for Grains of Salt: The Semiconductor Laser (1962–1977)
A Demonstration for the Queen (1970–1975)
Three Generations in Five Years (1975–1983)
Submarine Cables: Covering the Ocean Floor with Glass (1970–1995)
The Last Mile: An Elusive Vision
Reflections on the City of Light
Epilogue: The Boom, the Bubble, and the Bust
Computers you notice. They sit on your desk and hum, ever smaller, ever faster, and always obsolete if bought longer ago than last week. But the equally impressive technology that tus millions of terminals into a global network is less obvious. The phone line that comes into your house probably still pushes electrons through metal. But not far away, the signal will join millions of others relayed down fiber optic cables by laser. Jeff Hecht's fascinating account of this undersung technology goes back 150 years to find the origins of fiber optics. Then he chronicles the many ingenious and determined engineers who fashioned it into a technology that festoons the globe with cables carrying pulses of photons. It was harder than pioneering copper links because supplanting an existing technology needs more persuasion than establishing the first one. And there was competition from the satellite industry, as well as unexpected setbacks, such as sharks who ignored copper but chewed fiber optic cables. Hecht tells a good tale, combining a light joualistic touch with a scholarly knowledge of the industry he has covered for over two decades. The story is not over yet, but this is a rich account of how we got this far in a technology that really has fueled a revolution.
Introduction: Building a City of Light
Guiding Light and Luminous Fountains (1841–1890)
Fibers of Glass
The Quest for Remote Viewing: Television and the Legacy of Sword Swallowers (1895–1940)
A Critical Insight: The Birth of the Clad Optical Fiber (1950–1955)
99 Percent Perspiration: The Birth of an Industry (1954–1960)
A Vision of the Future: Communicating with Light (1880–1960)
The Laser Stimulates the Emission of New Ideas (1960–1969)
‘‘The Only Thing Left Is Optical Fibers’’ (1960–1969)
Trying to Sell a Dream (1965–1970)
Breakthrough: The Clearest Glass in the World (1966–1972)
Recipes for Grains of Salt: The Semiconductor Laser (1962–1977)
A Demonstration for the Queen (1970–1975)
Three Generations in Five Years (1975–1983)
Submarine Cables: Covering the Ocean Floor with Glass (1970–1995)
The Last Mile: An Elusive Vision
Reflections on the City of Light
Epilogue: The Boom, the Bubble, and the Bust