HELP! * GREY=local LOCAL HTML version of Foils prepared November 1 1995

Foil 8 What is so important about Digital ?

From Discussion of NII for Real World -- Education Medicine Journalism Presentation to University Trustee Spouses -- November 3,1995. by Geoffrey C. Fox * See also color IMAGE

Analog as in current Cable Satellite or broadcast TV or radio represents informations by WAVY SHAPES
  • Shapes can be arbitrary and if changed (distorted) canNOT be easily corrected
Digital as in current computers represents everything by NUMBERS and uses "error-correction" so that you receive EXACTLY what is sent with NO distortion of text or images
So information is more precise
  • Can do on-line banking using digital cash
  • can search information by keywords and navigate through sophisticated structured information systems
and looks better -- your great art piece is not distorted or the medical picture is transmitted without adding or subtracting tumors/pathologies etc.



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