The Life of J.C.R Licklider

Who was J.C.R Licklider?

Researchers since the beginning of the 1960s were looking at the future capabilities of computers and the tasks they will be able to perform, something that was unfathomable to some is now very real in the present. J.C.R Licklider was an American psychologist and computer scientist and was highly respected for his work at the time. He shared his ideas of the future to the public, many of his ideas are now a thing today, such as graphical computing, user friendly interfaces, digital libraries, e-commerce, online banking, and cloud computing. He formulated his ideas in a series of memos and was mostly recognized for his work labeled “Intergalactic Computer Network” which casted light onto the future of internet technology.

What is the “Intergalactic Computer Network”

The Intergalactic Computer Network, in Licklider’s words, was “an electronic commons open to all”. This was Lickliders most prized work, he envisioned a future where computers could network and act as one while preforming different tasks. While this seems like something that is not so far out of touch, because it is actually a thing today, J.C.R Licklider and his colleagues had to dig deep into their minds to imagine the future of computing.

J.C.R Licklider’s back story

Computer networking came naturally to Licklider, he used his ambition and people skills to generate a team to kick off the future of computing for generations to come. He was a member of Project Charles, which was the technological development of an air defense system for the U.S which eventually became known as the SAGE Project. He later taught at MIT and was named group leader at MIT’s Lincoln Labs and was a part of collaborations with organizations, government agencies and commercial contractors. He was a highly educated and respected individual early in his career, which eventually led him to meet another very highly respected scientist of his era, Bolt Beranek and Newnan. That is when the research began on how they could make computer technology more ubiquitous and useable. That is when the idea of time-sharing became a thing. No, I am not talking about renting a condo in Montauk with 5 of your buddies, time-sharing was the idea of a computer operating with different users all using different programs on the same computer. He eventually left the IPTO (Information Processing Techniques Office) for a job at IBM as a director.

Lickliders Time at MIT

In 1950 J.C.R got a job at MIT as an associate professor. During his time at MIT he taught classes on electrical engineering for two years. He was teaching his students the nitty gritty of technology, how electronics and technology go hand in hand with concepts like circuitry and power generation. After those 2 years he moved on to teaching his true passion, computer science, the study of computers and computational systems. He later became a member of the SAGE project and was eventually appointed as head of the team.

In 1957 Licklider was acknowledged as a well respected engineer and psychologist from his work on the SAGE project. He received the Franklin V. Taylor award from the Society of Engineering Psychologists. The following year, 1958, J.C.R was elected president of Acoustical Society of America, an international scientific society that was used to provide research on acoustics and its practical applications. This job took his place from MIT and he spent his next 4 years there.

The SAGE project

The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment, or the SAGE project, was a large scale study involving a system of extremely large computers and networking equipment. It was used to coordinate data from different radar sites used by the U.S Military. When used, it would produce a single large image of the airspace at the targeted area.

The processing power that was displayed was through one of the largest computers ever built in history and once it was decommissioned it was used in movies as props because of the eye opening size. Each SAGE computing system took up at least one entire floor, each one was about 22,000 square feet, which is not including the supporting equipment needed to run this monster of a computer. The computers had 2 sides to them Side A and Side B. Only one side would be used a day, while the other unused side would need maintenance done on it weekly.

The computers, based on the raw radar data, developed “tracks” for the reported targets, and automatically calculated which defenses were within range. In 1980, SAGE was eventually outdated, tests recognized that the computers could only intercept 1 out of 4 enemy bombers that were on U.S territory, but it was undisputedly the backbone of future military defense technology.

What Has Licklider done for the future?

Besides starting conversations and studies that were vital to the development of modern-day technology, J.C.R had more to offer to the world. While he spent his time at IPTO he invented the idea of a universal network, or in his own words, an Intergalactic network. This network and vision was worked on day and night by J.C.R, it was an amazing glimpse into the future but like most inventions, there was room for improvement. His successors eventually carried on his vision and on October 29, 1969, APRANET was born, which was the first “node-to-node” communication from one computer to another. It was used by the U.S Department of Defense only and was later developed into the Internet in 1983. His Development of the SAGE project later improved the future of military defense and homeland security as well.

So, while J.C.R has not invented ARPANET or the Internet, he more than certainly laid the groundwork for future generations, and without him who knows when the conversation of a universal network would be brought up?

Conclusion

In conclusion J.C.R Licklider was an incredibly bright mind and paved the way for computer and technological research. He turned dreams into reality and without minds like J.C.R the world would be lost on where to go in the future. He set the standard that nothing is too far out of reach and that one idea can spark another, which leads to a more advanced and exciting world to live in. His studies and thought process showed that anything you think of can be achievable with the right mindset, determination, and team.