The groups who made mass production possible should be rightfully celebrated. Even today, smart phones surely would not be possible without all of the manufacturing that occurs overseas. We as individuals should do our best to recognize the contributions made by other groups involved in the process rather than just the originators. I think it’s best to view everything as a process.

The first problem I encountered was the difference between the universal definition of an integrated circuit. For example, the dictionary defines it as “an electronic circuit formed on a small piece of semi conducting material, performing the same function as a larger circuit made from discrete components” while several computer-science related websites defined it as “a small wafer, usually made of silicon, that can hold anywhere from hundreds to millions of transistors, resistors, and capacitors”. Although the second definition contains technical terms unfamiliar to us, the inclusion of the word “transistors” allow for a further understanding of how an integrated circuit works.

Looking back a week, the reading “Foundations of Computing” by O’Regan explains how AND, OR, and NOT operations from Boolean Logic can be applied as switches, or transistors, for binary arithmetic to take place. Connecting these two sources and our lessons on binary numbers, we rise a level of abstraction to understand that these integrated circuits and their transistors enable the computer to compute, store, and execute data. Therefore, it is trough this integrated circuit that the computer can add numbers together as well as to display an image on a screen. Although this research included a lot of technical terms that are not necessary for the class, I truly believe they serve as another building block for us to analyze the functionality and restrictions of a digital computer.