Of course, by itself technology doesn't improve the human condition. However, it does give us the tools to better some aspects of the world if we so choose. Human beings are the ones who must ultimately use the integrated circuit for the purpose of good or evil. Indeed, history is replete with examples of technology used for the purposes of evil, and there is no real reason why the integrated circuit can't be used to help other people in the world. There are many examples of how the human condition has been bettered due to the invention of the integrated circuit.

There are some drawbacks to the use of the microchip, and in some ways, life has become harder due to its widespread use. Cell phones, PDAs, and other electronic gadgetry have certainly caused social tension in the Global Village, but with every new technology, human beings must be held accountable for its responsible use. Granted, if the integrated circuit was never developed, we probably wouldn’t know the difference, but the advancement of this technology has allowed for the attainment of new vistas of human capability. The microchip has given us the capacity to create, but it has also given us the capability to destroy. Although some aspects of our lives have become better, there are always some things that have changed. The burden of technology is ultimately of our own making, and we can use it in a very human way to either help our world or to hinder it.

Regardless of whether Jack Kilby was the first to create the microchip or not, he still made a very important contribution to human knowledge. For example, the Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden is believed to be the first to pioneer advanced electronic communications (see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Fessenden ), but of course, other inventors tend to take a larger share of the credit. Fessenden is sometimes referred to as ‘Canada’s forgotten inventor’. Everyone responsible for the idea of the microchip should have the credit that is deserved, but Kilby also deserves the credit for the integrated circuit as well, in the same manner that Fessenden and the other inventors deserve the credit for advanced radio communications.

Jack Kilby and his colleagues made a great contribution to humanity. We should pay tribute to these people who provided the technology that changed the world, and we should pay tribute to Jack Kilby with his passing.

Nicholas Kinar