“The rapid advance of computer technology in the late 20th century had a direct impact on almost every aspect of human life. Its progress is encapsulated by Moore’s law, which roughly states that the amount of computer power available at a given price doubles every 18 months—or, to put it another way, the cost of a given amount of computing power falls by half every 18 months. As computers have become smaller and cheaper they have sprouted in homes and offices across the world, permeated everything from cars to office equipment to household appliances, and given rise to the internet and mobile phones. Yet other advances during the 20th century have had impacts that, while being less obvious, will arguably prove to be just as significant in the long term.”