Title
The Closed World: Computers And The Politics Of Discourse In Cold War America (Inside Technology)
Delivery time: 8-12 business days (International)
The Closed World Offers A Radically New Alternative To The Canonical Histories Of Computers And Cognitive Science. Arguing That We Can Make Sense Of Computers As Tools Only When We Simultaneously Grasp Their Roles As Metaphors And Political Icons, Paul Edwards Shows How Cold War Social And Cultural Contexts Shaped Emerging Computer Technologyand Were Transformed, In Turn, By Information Machines.The Closed World Explores Three Apparently Disparate Historiesthe History Of American Global Power, The History Of Computing Machines, And The History Of Subjectivity In Science And Culturethrough The Lens Of The American Political Imagination. In The Process, It Reveals Intimate Links Between The Military Projects Of The Cold War, The Evolution Of Digital Computers, And The Origins Of Cybernetics, Cognitive Psychology, And Artificial Intelligence.Edwards Begins By Describing The Emergence Of A Closedworld Discourse Of Global Surveillance And Control Through Hightechnology Military Power. The Cold War Political Goal Of Containment Led To The Sage Continental Air Defense System, Rand Corporation Studies Of Nuclear Strategy, And The Advanced Technologies Of The Vietnam War. These And Other Centralized, Computerized Military Command And Control Projectsfor Containing Worldscale Conflictshelped Closedworld Discourse Dominate Cold War Political Decisions. Their Apotheosis Was The Reaganera Plan For A Star Wars Spacebased Ballistic Missile Defense.Edwards Then Shows How These Military Projects Helped Computers Become Axial Metaphors In Psychological Theory. Analyzing The Macy Conferences On Cybernetics, The Harvard Psychoacoustic Laboratory, And The Early History Of Artificial Intelligence, He Describes The Formation Of A Cyborg Discourse. By Constructing Both Human Minds And Artificial Intelligences As Information Machines, Cyborg Discourse Assisted In Integrating People Into The Hypercomplex Technological Systems Of The Closed World.Finally, Edwards Explores The Cyborg As Political Identity In Science Fictionfrom The Disembodied, Panoptic Ai Of 2001: A Space Odyssey, To The Mechanical Robots Of Star Wars And The Engineered Biological Androids Of Blade Runnerwhere Information Age Culture And Subjectivity Were Both Reflected And Constructed.Inside Technology Series
By changing our most important processes and
products, we have already made a big leap forward. This ranges from the
increased use of more sustainable fibers to the use of more
environmentally friendly printing processes to the development of
efficient waste management in our value chain.
⚠️ WARNING (California Proposition 65):
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
For more information, please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping
We ship your order within 2–3 business days for USA deliveries and 5–8 business days for international shipments. Once your package has been dispatched from our warehouse, you'll receive an email confirmation with a tracking number, allowing you to track the status of your delivery.
Returns
To facilitate a smooth return process, a Return Authorization (RA) Number is required for all returns. Returns without a valid RA number will be declined and may incur additional fees. You can request an RA number within 15 days of the original delivery date. For more details, please refer to our Return & Refund Policy page.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping
We ship your order within 2–3 business days for USA deliveries and 5–8 business days for international shipments. Once your package has been dispatched from our warehouse, you'll receive an email confirmation with a tracking number, allowing you to track the status of your delivery.
Returns
To facilitate a smooth return process, a Return Authorization (RA) Number is required for all returns. Returns without a valid RA number will be declined and may incur additional fees. You can request an RA number within 15 days of the original delivery date. For more details, please refer to our Return & Refund Policy page.
Warranty
We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.
If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.
This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
Warranty
We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.
If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.
This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
Secure Payment
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.
We accept payments with :
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Paypal, Shopify Payments, Shop Pay and more.
Secure Payment
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.
We accept payments with :
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Paypal, Shopify Payments, Shop Pay and more.