Lecture Reviews

"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"

In this week one's lecture, we looked at old media versus new media. The old media referred to includes landlines, hand-written letters and film, whilst the new media covers everything from mobile phones to the internet and its various uses. We were then introduced to the concept of converged technologies and communication.

'Every abstract machine is linked to other abstract machines,
not only because they are inseparably political, economic, scientific, artistic, ecological,
cosmic - perceptive, affective, acting, thinking, physical, and semiotic
- but because their various types are as intertwined as their operations are convergent.
Mechanosphere.'

The week two lecture delved into the history of computers and the internet, focusing on the key players and inventors who helped make this technology what it is today. From Charles Babbage's Difference Engine and Alex Turning's contributions to the computer, we covered every milestone in the development process of this technology. The lecture introduced us to Xerox PRAC, MAC and the combination of IBM and Microsoft. Once we were up to date on the history of the computer, it was time to turn our attention to the Internet and its various uses. From its role in the military during its early stages, the internet has come a long way. In this day and age, our lives revolve around it.

'Language of the Cinema'

In week three, we moved onto film as our focus. We were taught all about how different camera angles and shots contribute to telling the story in a film. They reveal the important facts, such as the 'who', 'what', 'when', 'why' and 'how'. Other rules of cinema were covered, including rules about head room, talking space, the rule of thirds and the 180' rule.