Now the Chips Are Down

"Now the Chips Are Down" is a 1978 television documentary episode about the importance and influence of microprocessors within the British economy. It was aired by the BBC as part of its Horizon series.

"Now the Chips Are Down"
Horizon episode
Episode no.Series 14
Episode 17
Original air date24 March 1978

The programme was instrumental in raising general awareness within the UK about microprocessors.

Synopsis

The documentary is a report on the "applications and implications"[1] of microprocessors to employment within the British economy.[2]

Production

The documentary was produced by BBC Television as part of its 1978 Horizon series.[1] It was narrated by British radio and television presenter Paul Vaughan.[1]

Reception

Science historian Robert M. Young wrote in 1981 that the programme played an "important part" in raising awareness about microprocessors within government and the general public.[3]

Consequences

Britain's lagging place in the worldwide technology race was widely acknowledged after the documentary was screened.[4] The UK government launched the Microelectronics Education Programme in 1981, with a budget of more than £10 million.[4] This included nationwide discounts on computers to schools and colleges, and was followed by government backing of the BBC's Computer Literacy Project.[4] Funding for related education schemes continued until 1988.[4]

References
  1. "Now the Chips Are Down". BUFVC website. BUFVC. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  2. Huws, Ursula (14 January 2004). "Chapter 15: The fading of the collective dream?". In Mitter, Swasti; Rowbotham, Sheila (eds.). Women Encounter Technology: Changing Patterns of Employment in the Third World. Routledge. p. 321. ISBN 978-0-203-20861-8. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  3. Young, Robert M.; Gardner, Carl (1981). "Science on TV: A critique". In Bennett, Tony; Boyd-Bowman, Susan; Mercer, Colin; Woollacott, Janet (eds.). Popular television and film: a reader. British Film Institute in association with The Open University Press. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-85170-115-8. Retrieved 27 February 2013. Alt URL
  4. Tom Forester (1987). The High-Tech Society: The Story of the Information Technology Revolution. MIT Press. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-262-56044-3. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.