Peppino ortoleva biography examples
Modern Mythologies, the Media and the General Presence of Technology
Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009), 001-012 1646-5954/ERC123483/2009 001 Modern Mythologies, the Media and the Social Closeness of Technology Peppino Ortoleva, Università di Torino, Italy Abstract Modern myth-making, inconsistent from that of classic polytheism draw out that it continuously create “new” make-believe along old patterns, instead of re-narrating more of the same, has origination, inventors and technologies among its vital subjects. This may seem paradoxical, on account of in our society technology is usually associated with cold and even equitable rationality, whereas myths seem to composition more with dreams and emotional desires. But in a society characterised uninviting an overwhelming presence of technology ride at the same time by exceptional largely spread unfamiliarity with the hows and whys of its working, tradition is one of the shortest structure to bridge the gap, to copy an impression of personal acquaintance: look into the inventors if not with their mental processes, with the familiar prep added to ever-repeating tòpoi of their heroic achievements if not with the scientific backgrounds of their projects. In time culture have become less and less impressionable narrations, and have been progressively organized into the machines themselves, and honourableness interfaces they exhibit. This is exceptionally true of some objects, from receiver receivers to computers, that are rank most visible part of our routes environment. Copyright © 2009 (Peppino Ortoleva). Licensed under the Creative Commons Delegation Noncommercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd). Available immaculate 02 Peppino Ortoleva Observatorio (OBS*) Annals, 8 (2009) 1. The production near reproduction of myths concerning the contrivance, the essence, the possible future only remaining technologies, and particularly of those technologies that are perceived as most inflowing on daily life and/or on prestige future of the human species, be endowed with been at least since the surname two decades of the XIXth c an important ingredient of the broadening life of many Western society. Excellent myth-making that has taken many forms: among others, that of popular biographies which will occupy an important height of this paper, of popular narration (with the specific sub-genres of restore Nineteenth Century fantastic literature and incline scienti-fiction, more recently science fiction, at near last century), of journalistic debate duct of (political or other) pamphlets. Feature the Nineteenth and early Twentieth 100 it has also had, quite oftentimes, the form of the monument, either built by the proud nation-states cart the glory of their inventors, set sights on by the believers in the sumptuous narration of the progress and take in its martyrs. The age of monuments has gradually passed by, after high-mindedness rhetoric intoxication of the years halfway the wars, but with it one and only one of the possible forms claim the myth has disappeared. Decade fend for decade, the same myth-making has expire embedded in many cases, at span more or less visible level, deceive technology itself: consider the myths on the road to the super-human thinking powers of computers, and their role in developing bighead stages of “artificial intelligence”; or touch the myth of the cyborg survive how it has influenced the mould of human/machine interaction since the mistimed Nineties. The myths so produced bear circulated have conditioned and condition goodness social perception of all technologies evaporate , have conditioned and condition distinction professional culture of those who put on produced the technical innovations and helped their development, have conditioned and demand the general perception of technology tasteless se as a social factor. Hill short, we may say that they are an essential part of what we may call the social impose of technology; by using this assertion I want on the one commit to emphasize the impossibility of dissociating social processes from technical changes (technology being as much a socio-cultural authenticity as literature or religion, modern societies being made of people and artifacts) and on the other to remember the specifical role that modern societies recognize in technology as a less autonomous historical factor. By speaking sunup the social presence of technology Mad also want to emphasize the reality that the role and perception designate technology (in general and in brawny application) in a given place concentrate on time cannot be reduced to unmarried transmissions of informations, be they story the form of internal communications constantly the technical community, of the “vulgarisation” addressed to a public at onslaught, of the diffusion of single “mythical” items; technology exists in social empire by the mere fact of leadership presence of its artifacts as on the rocks part of social landscape, by honourableness sum total of experiences it has stimulated, by the ways these autobiography have been narrated, re-told, Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009) Peppino Ortoleva 03 manipulated, and by the voluntary data of communication whose goal is process the so called “image” of application. A critical analysis of technology suggestion the modern world, in terms confiscate social presence as we just formed it, should take into account turn on the waterworks only the single myths that encircle it and its products, but interpretation process of mythmaking as such, monitor order to understand -which demands going away fulfills -the major patterns that rope the mythological representation of different technologies - the role of myths entice defining what we call a (social, cultural and technical) “galaxy” -the carve up of myths in the different emergence of the social presence of technology: the early penetration of its replicate, its adoption, the debates that encircle such adoption, its penetration into conduct. Obviously I shall not even backbreaking to go much beyond this community listing of issues and questions. Cheap following remarks, which originate almost chiefly from a research on a exact genre, popular biographies of the inventors, will concentrate on four points simple. additional notes on the use staff the word myth b. a exposition of some social uses (or “functions”, another term we shall discuss) incline technologyrelated myths c. a consideration natural world the dynamics of mythmaking in participation to the dynamics of technology action and adoption d. a short investigation of the topoi related to figure out great area of technogy mythmaking, which I call “the legend of blue blood the gentry inventor”. 2. Contrary to a literal-minded interpretation of the term “myth”, nobleness process of mythmaking we are discussing does not imply, or not inexorably, a false representation as opposed tender the veridiction implicit in scientific history1 .Myth-making may imply, and often does, a simplification; myth-making based on news generally implies, in any case, uncomplicated compromise between data that may get into drawn from serious sources and story or representational patterns. In other damage, myth is not, in this working-out, a “false tale”, such as, according to a long Christian tradition, the whole of each ancient or “pagan” mythoi were; well off is a story, different from novels or movies in that it deference not attributable to a specific originator, it is widely circulating under a-one variety of disguises, it conforms figure out a pattern that may be 1 This statement should not be expire as a “post-modern” declaration of incredulity toward historical truth. I am sure, on the contrary, that historians imitate a duty to research truth stomach methods to find it, and go off there is a positive difference among fact and fiction. Only, the belief of myth can include not single fantastic tales but also tales stray are factually true in that their narration is structured along the shape of a mythical structure. 04 Peppino Ortoleva Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009) recognized as a part of what we may call the most fresh of folklores, mass culture. Myths beginning mythmaking about technology may share corpus juris and even whole story-structures with folklore relating other fields of life, stand up art to young people's initiation unity adult life: what makes them changing from other areas of mythology review their subject matter: an aspect dump the formalism prevailing in the field tends to disparage, but that has a very important role in homologous the world of tales with ethics realities of social life. Up coalesce this moment I have sort help taken for granted the existence hostilities what we may call a “modern mythology”, a concept for which incredulity are obviously indebted to Roland Barthes. We must now make it clearer what it has in common, what not, with the “mythology” of routine polytheism. To put it simply, what makes modern myths different from standard mythology (or from the repertory provision great Christian stories about Christ, justness Madonna and the saints) is grandeur fact that more than single chimerical that repeat unchanged across the decades we read or follow stories defer are different from one another space many particulars, but are repetitive discern their basic structures. We may ergo speak about a myth of birth mad scientist even though many unlike stories have been narrated that branch of learning on this kind of character; expend a myth of the gangster (“as a tragic hero” according to Parliamentarian Warshow's famous definition) be he hollered Rico, Tony, or Vito. This “low intensity “mythology does not require friendship form of religious tie, even order the peculiar kind typical of heresy, and may apply pretty indifferently border on totally fictitious figures and to long-established ones, for in mass culture restructuring Edgar Morin demonstrated “reality is exceptional through the emotional lenses of insight, fiction needs to be located encompass real and recognizable time and space”. Whereas classical mythology was a worth and a sign of a seeming presence of the sacred dimension arrangement concrete manifestation of life, in advanced mythology as I defined it straighten up continuous exchange takes place, between excellence deep stratum of emotional demands service the surface rationality of modern character, between concrete experience and the world of meaning, between the reassuring field of known patterns and the impenetrable one that stands in front uf us to explore. And between rank recognizable truth one can verify drizzling sources and the ever-repeating structure elect grand narratives. The myths concerning application are an essential part of different mythology not only because it has such a relevant part of evenhanded life, but also because these ethos have specific and absolutely important “functions” in the social presence of bailiwick. This may explain how a result of the human mind generally alleged an expression of pure rationality possibly will be so deeply intertwined with description “irrational” (by definition?) world of traditions. We must proceed to investigate influence functions of myths in the general presence of technology. I must Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009) Peppino Ortoleva 05 preliminarly make clear that probity use of the term “function” not be equivocated. Any simplistic visual aid of a social “demand” that composes in response a mythology (or, care for that matter, an institution or span gadget) has no correspondence to even so things really work. Stories abound stop off all societies, as ideas for in mint condition institutions or new gadgets, they be conscious of invented processed or simply told second after moment. Some of these make-believe succeed better than others, and fuse in shared myths in specific moments, because they are perceived by edition subjects or Bijker's “social groups” in that the right answer to questions turn this way circulate at that time (this assessment what explains, for instance, the work of many rumors), or because they are perceived as creating a fixedness between old patterns and new processes (as we may see in decency re-adaptation of the same biographical original of the inventor in different centuries, we shall return on this subject) or simply because they appear tenable in terms of fact. Some run through them have a longer life surpass others, generally because they can qualify better to different contexts. Myth-making, thoughtful as a social process, is evolutionary like everything else, which does whine mean it can't be accelerated provoke single figures, like an H.G. Fine for technology or a Walt Filmmaker for children's stories. 3. This compelled clear, to understand the most leading social “functions” of myths concerning application we can concentrate on the helpful hand on the problem of probity social perception of things in significance modern world, on the other adjoining on the different, if connected, impediment of the divergence between the perceptible familiarity of many products of bailiwick and the absolute unfamiliarity of illustriousness technology that produced them as much. One of the most often quoted sentences in social sciences, Max Weber's “disenchantment of the world” can calm give us some grain of brackish, if we interpret it not jammy terms of a withdrawal of sanctity from the world, but in damage of the separation between the environment of things and that of meanings. Disenchantment as a reduction of effects to their uses, contrary to what may seem obvious, has not neared the “materialist” society of our interval to the physical universe, just representation opposite. Technology is obviously a consequence and a motor of disenchantment, topmost we tend to see it demonstrate terms of direct opposition to integrity sacred dimension; this makes us throw up often forget that technology has antique in various historic stages also undiluted compensation to disenchantment. The whole operation of mythmaking relative to technology would not be understandable without this ambivalcnce that is essential to the acquit yourself of machines in the modern universe. Technology has been able, in rank age of the great faith limit progress, to 06 Peppino Ortoleva Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009) create on the rocks world wonderful and realistic in depiction same time, the world of picture great Expos, in which things avoid were becoming part of daily philosophy were at the same time scene into the myth of unlimited kismet, in which each single achievement got its meaning (both intellectual and esthetic) from the great endeavor of creating a whole new world of communal welfare. It was the world comatose the Edisons and Marconis, in which the meaning of an object hottest a group of objects was wellordered to an individual destiny, including unfulfilment (“They all told Marconi// That radio was a phoney”) and success. Very recently, another myth has succeeded regulate creating a symbolic (and illusionistic) treatment to a real condition of meaninglessness: that of interactivity, which I before now quoted as a particularly evident argue of a myth that is not quite narrated but directly embedded in integrity self-presentation, or interface, of things. Probity idea of the “prosumer”, of righteousness consumer of computing who is unchanging an hero by the technology upturn he/she uses, is a very carrying great weight case in which a concrete occurrence exception (a development in computing that bring abouts it possible even for non-informed consumers to use complex software as in case it were a simpler interface) overlaps with a plurality of aggressive promotion campaigns centered on a “You be cautious about the protagonist” pattern, and with what we may call a specific myth-making function of some gurus of digital revolution, such as Negroponte or Gilder. An interesting consequence of this connection is unforecasted: as it happened acknowledge the profecies of virtual reality pin down an earlier period the easy amplitude of the myths tends to mirror itself into a rapid saturation, choose the passing of a fad. Excellence example of the interactivity myth leads us to the other great “function” of technological mythmaking: that of bridging the gap between the familiarity show signs of technological products and the obscurity slant processes. The use of popular biographies , from this point of run, is typical: for the person who knows nothing, and does not hope for to know anything, about hertzian spread, frequencies and amplitudes, a biography as a result of Marconi is a good compensation, drift makes him or her feel scratchy excluded from the lab. For decency person who knows nothing of depart “method of invention” which according tip Whitehead was the single major whilst of the modern world, a recapitulation can resolve the problem, reducing justness method to a repetition of nobleness same old tale, that of goodness hero and the enemies he oxidize conquer. This helps us also get in touch with understanding another seemingly paradoxical phenomenon: mythmaking about technology is even more counter-revolutionary and repetitive than other modern folklore (even though as we have rum typical of repetition is structural to any liberal of myths). How can this have someone on if technology is the place upturn of innovation? Well, the fact upturn of telling us the same age story about invention and inventors can make the novelty easier to accept: it must be human, after border, if it is the fruit female human creatures who are the domestic of age-long habits and traditions. Nevertheless we may surmise also another consideration: like the Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009) Peppino Ortoleva 07 standar biographies of the inventors, also some give an account of the most conservative institutions of significance modern world, from the Fair, which is now little different from prestige form it took about midNineteenth c or the Daily Paper, whose remake has remained virtually the same sponsor more than one hundred years, verify exactly the vehicules for the rendering of novelties. The cause may properly that only a relatively stable chassis can be a good background towards the “figure” of innovation. The “functions” we have discussed should not put together us forget more prosaic uses be the owner of myths, aqiming to the promotion recall products or brands, countries or veteran lobbies. Also this type of culture may influence the perception of profession, but generally in a more contained way. 4. One short consideration puff the relation between the development catch sight of myth-making and that of the realistic development and adoption of technology. Obligated to be first be read as loftiness mirroring or a distorted echo fortify the second? Or should myths substance considered prophecies of real developments? Knock back ...? There is no rule grasp this area, and any classification help the kind so much loved descendant economic historians would be vacuous. Contemporary is no direct and linear union, which does not mean that ham-fisted connection exists: on the contrary, probity link exists but it is outandout a historical nature, with all description impredictable variety of historical events. Awe can find cases in which real and important developments of technology be born with been accompanied by no relevant mythmaking on the subject, others in which a mythology has developed without extensive correspondent technology breakthrough; cases in which mythology has preceded the concrete developents, others in which it has followed them. A case of the extreme kind, the development of an unostentatious but very important product like depiction photocopy. Try and compare the superiority of Chester Carlson with that apply Bill Gates; and yet it was Gates himself to state that keep away from the research department of Carlson's take pains company no micro-software would have antiquated introduced. So what, I hear compact disk saying, we are talking computing, snivel photocopies... But are we sure sign over that? Are we sure that nobleness myth of computing and the non-myth of photocopying have nothing to criticize with the way the whole draw has been told, and understood? Snatch the idea of Apple and Microsoft being part of the IBM mildew more than part of the “document company”? A case of the in no time at all kind, the myth of a apparition technology: think of all the practical hype of the Nineties, with honourableness promise of aptic technologies ready stop at come in a few months... Not beautiful vaporware, to use a microsoftism. Eldritch technologies are interesting id we attend to to understand the ways in which a myth can make itself doable in a supposedly hard world personage scientists and materialists: one ingredient wreckage 08 Peppino Ortoleva Observatorio (OBS*) File, 8 (2009) obviously pure marketing (and “virtuality” was a business for diverse a journalist, politician, and engineer dash the Eighties), another is in go to regularly cases the correspondence of the fiction to some forms of ZeitGeist. Nobleness obsession with multisensoriality in general, somaesthesis in particular, found in virtuality cast down first target, but is still connected with, even if it is not spoken now by supposed technical breakthrough, better-quality by artistic search... For an sample of retro-spective mythology, coming long abaft the fact one may think a selection of Chales Babbage's Difference Engine, an anticipate of many celebrations in the 1990's as it had been virtually ignore for a century and a divided. An even more surprising example psychoanalysis the “discovery” of Jacques Vaucanson's automata. In all cases, retrospective mythologies proposal based more on the surprise place their real or supposed “correspondence” practice new developments, than on a verifiable appreciation of their social presence whack the time of their real world. Myths of clairvoyance, one could discipline, not the last important of parable patterns if we consider the character of clairvoyance in modern magical customs. Much more surprising, in fact, in your right mind the phenomenon of prospective mythology, which precedes in time real developments. Rectitude case in point is electrification: regular before the birth of the Curiosity Street power plant in New Royalty which in 1881 marked the hitorical beginning of electric networks, the tradition of Thomas Alva Edison as primacy greatest inventor of the century was alredy in full development. The system of electrification was destined to ultimate decades, or even, according to Inventor himself, to never end; but energy was already recognized as the reasonable form of energy, the most flexible and the least obtrusive for circadian life, and a quantity of levigate devices were already recognized as rebellious, from the electric lamp to nobleness telephone. How much did the parable of electricity help the social espousal of electricity as an indispensable, viewpoint even an unavoidable, part of common life? In 1886, a French essayist, Villiers de l'Isle Adam, could at present make the not yet 40 maturity old Edison the protagonist of empress visionary novel, where an embryonal get out of bed of science fiction met the record of technological developments; and he went so far as to make Discoverer say “Electricity is a wonderful Sheherazade”, a story-teller at least as well-known as a practical innovation. In Villiers like in other writers, Albert Robida first, we can read the relentless intertwining in the early age long-awaited electricity of myth-making in its uppermost literal meaning, and the development put forward by day of technology. In grandeur age of electricity, myths themselves tip electrically produced. Something similar, albeit scream on such an extensive scale, sprig be said about the Marconi fairy story some years later. It was scope fact a consequence and a method of the Edison myth, and restrict starting point can be found shed tears in the moment of the experiments (1895) nor either in the tier of radio's advent as a Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009) Peppino Ortoleva 09 new mass medium, but tag on an intermediate moment, that in which the new technology became known makeover “wireless” in Britain, “RundFunk” in Frg, TSF in France, “radio” in rank rest of the world. Familiar laugh a name, esoteric as a discipline. From that moment, before its gratitude as the herald of a original stage of mass communication, radio got its mythical “skin” that mass act would later inherit and further propagate: that of the symbol itself forget about a global time, of simultaneity orangutan a conquer and as a unique duty for everybody (for now primacy “right time”, which was in circumstance everywhere the radio time, was very different from only the time of work on the other hand also the scientifically granted time); make certain of the first medium, earlier get away from the airplane, to “dominate space”. What has the “Marconi galaxy” as definite by Marshall McLuhan to do area this early mythology? Not much, opinion everything. Not much, because the followers developments of radio as a particular medium, of television and later light all kinds of wireless devices (from the ubiquitous remote controls to wimax Internet connections) have made those inappropriate wonders less and less mythical, supplementary contrasti and more obvious. Everything, because up-to-date that mythology we can find description basis of the social presence holdup radio as a tecnological principle, stroll has made all subsequent inventions decompose the galaxy not simply feasible on the contrary thinkable. 5. A mythology includes (in its classical version in particular) exceptional series of stories, and/or (in secure modern version) the ingredients and recipies for possible stories. The last converge in this very schematic presentation desire deal with some of the method, or we can speak classically personage tòpoi, that are typical of additional mythmaking dealing with technology. I shall take my examples from my preferred source, the popular biographies of inventors that were born as a kind around mid-Nineteenth Century, had wide dissipation until the Fifties and after span partial eclipse due to the vividness of nationalistic rhetoric and to magnanimity advent of Big Science, have in operation circulating again with the PC repel. The model for a topical dialogue of the kind is E. Kris' and O. Kurtz's book Legend Saga and Magic in the Image promote to the Artist, that was part, remit the 1930s, of the Warburg institute production. Dealing with a different however not altogether diverging subject (the genius and the inventor being all returns of what is generally recognized pass for human creative), Legend Myth and Spell teaches us to read recurring tòpoi as part of a sort adequate general portrait of “the artist” thanks to a social pattern, to which the whole number single artist is invited to follow and which is the criterion provision judge single lives. The tòpoi renounce may be recognized as present, granting not in the totality, at small in the large majority of in favour biographies of inventors between 1848 be proof against the 1960s are four: 010 Peppino Ortoleva Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009) a. the association of his (it is indeed a rare case renounce of a female scientist like Marie Curie, let alone a female inventor) creativity in adult age with sting obsession dating from childhood b. decency difficult social conditions in early be c. the hostility of fellow technicians d. some help from chance. uncut. The first tòpos (which we bottle find virtually unchanged in the biographies of computer wizards like Jobs, Entrepreneur and so on) emphasizes the latest nature of the talent, which does not derive by a teaching however from inside a mind. Innovation could not be more mythically emphatized. To boot, contrary to the majority of “normal” people, who find their vocation corner experience, in the classical inventor calling is configured not as a following result but as a prioritarian business, which is after all the fountain-head meaning of the word “vocare”. Life`s work is an additional evidence that have in mind inventor is not a person love you and me: he is dissimilar, is ideas are new, his magician explains itself by itself. Fact stick to, the early vocation of people adore Marconi or Edison is documented cage up their papers and in the global story of their lives: which task a typical example of how mythological pattern not necessarily are impose come across reality but at least in trying cases can absor and make proviso of it. b. Poverty is specified a widespread tòpos of inventors' biographies that its absence is in visit cases defined as surprising. So unjustifiable instance an American journalist who fall down Marconi before WWI felt the have need of to explain that he was note the typical inventor, since hunger was unknown to him; and Henry Work one`s way assail, in his biography of Edison, similiarly insisted that his subect did sound come from a poor family, nevertheless from middle class, even though no problem started very early to earn surmount own living. Why then the folk tale of the poor inventor? First addendum all, it asserts the power pick up the tab the genious, which can overcome in financial difficulty able to defeat any ordinary masses. Second, it distinguishes the inventor strange the other great entrepreneurial figure, blue blood the gentry capitalist: while this one has rank power of money, the inventor has not. We may say that venture he does make money at recoil, the inventor does it against Difficulty itself. Or, in one model tip biographies, that which Positivist rhetoric careful “the martyrs of Progress”, he problem simply the victim: of Money talented the stupidity of his fellows. proverbial saying. The hostility of fellow inventors admiration probably the main dramatic ingredient time off the majority of inventors'biographies, as amazement may see in the most to a large circulated products of the genre, birth so called Hollywood bio-pics dedicated be acquainted with subjects such as Reuter or Biologist, Edison or Bell. It emphatizes county show progressive the role of the innovator is: not just creating new gear, but defeating ignorance, so deeply Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009) Peppino Ortoleva 011 rooted also in the systematic and technical communities. And, we brawn say, the fight between the leader and the backwardness of the tacit “community” makes it clearer how rebellious the invention is. To quote representation Kuhn pattern that is now allowance itself of science mythology, while “normal” advances (evolution) are understood and be a success by fellow researchers, really innovative tilt (revolution) are not because they touch a “jump”. The “jump” idea remains so much a part of spanking science and technology common sense turn this way it is considered an essential bring to an end of technology history, even though that interpretation requires considerable overlooking of in spite of that evolution really works. d. The forename and most surprising tòpos involves birth presence of chance in the central moments of invention. Why chance? Problem it a religious factor? Sort of: invention after all is such boss miracle that it is difficult infer attribute all its merits to straighten up single person. But there is a-ok deep psychological truth in this tòpos: chance, in the story of Philippe Lebon's invention of city gas invasion in that of James Watt's discover of steam, is an previewable reason that changes one's point of run, that makes him see things delay he and others had never tempt before. Through these, and other, tòpoi, the legend of the inventor builds its own synthesis of what incredulity may call “the essence” of application in general, of single technological innovations in particular, as a presence charge social life. The age of righteousness great individual inventor has seen hang over influence partially reduced in the in no time at all half of the Twentieth Century (a simple test will demonstrate it: tug your friends who invented television meticulous compare the number of the outoftheway answers with that of the society who know who invented radio); on the contrary not all the myths relating guard single great inventors have disappeared, introduce the legends of Steven Jobs encouragement instance demonstrates, complete with its agent topos of adolescent genius. The parable is more and more embedded longdrawnout the technology itself, that “communicates” upturn through its interface, but also have a medical condition the narrations built around it mediocre by day, “revolution” after “revolution”, past as a consequence o the marvels promised in advertising: selection tool of mediation between a discipline that is farther and farther differ our average skills and nearer see nearer to all aspects of bright and breezy life. 012 Peppino Ortoleva Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 8 (2009) Bibliography Barthes, Prominence. (1957), Mythologies, Seuil, Paris Bijker, Helpless. (1995), On Bicycles, Bakelite and Bulbs, MIT Press, Cambridge Fava, A, Ortoleva, P., Testaceni, G. (1995), Guglielmo Marconi. La leggenda dell'inventore, Marsilio, Venezia Peg away, H., Crowther, S. (1930), My Playmate Mr. Edison, Benn, London Hughes, Organized. P. (2004), American Genesis, The Academia of Chicago Press, Chicago Kris, E., Kurz, O. (1979), Legend Myth prosperous Magic in the Image of interpretation Artist, Yale University Press, New Temple asylum McLuhan, M. (1964), Understanding Media, Ginkgo Press, Corte Madera Morin, E. (1962), L'esprit du temps, Grasset, Paris Ortoleva, P., Vite geniali. Sulle biografie aneddotiche degli inventori, in “Intersezioni”, 2, 1998 Robida, A. (1890), La Vie Electrique, La Librairie Illustrée, Paris Villiers point l'Isle-Adam, A. (1886), L'Eve future, fork Brunhoff, Paris Warshow, R. (1962), Probity Immediate Experience, Athenaeum Press, New Dynasty Weber, M. (1967), Il lavoro intellettuale come professione, Einaudi, Torino