It seems that Dr Vannevar Bush (Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development) had the ability of foresight. His July 1 1945 article ‘As We May Think’ argues that scientific instruments are/or should be seen as tools for sharing knowledge. He states that “for years inventions have extended man’s physical powers rather than the powers of the mind” and scientists should focus on increasing the accessibility of knowledge. “Science has provided the swiftest communication between individuals; it has provided a record of ideas and has enabled man to manipulate and to make extracts from that record so that knowledge evolves and endures” – this ‘swift communication’ should be utilized in order to make information more accessible. On a side note, this statement reminded me of something I learnt in Communications – the first publications were scientific findings which were shared among scientists. Back to Bush however, he cleverly noted that an increasing the accessibility of knowledge has the potential to bog us down. This is exactly what is happening now. Anyone, anywhere can post ‘information’ online. Rather that needing tools for finding the information (we now have this in the form of search engines like Google), we need tools to wade through useless/false information that is so easily accessible. Bush notes that this bogging down can result in “truly significant attainments becom[ing] lost in the mass of the inconsequential.” Then and now, a way of sorting through these records was seen of great importance by scientists like Bush. 

http://cdn.dropmark.com/4931/9cdc50c349beb1c5a790f7843894599c3f08be1a/As%20We%20May%20Think.pdf