The Information Infrastructure - Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer - page 71

of the nervous system. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal
cord. The brain can be compared to a computer and the spinal cord to the cable for
the computer's input and output. The nerves are like a circuit supplying information
to the cable and transmitting the output to muscles and organs.
The autonomic nervous system regulates various organs of the body not sub-
ject to a human's control, including the action of the heart and blood vessels. Be-
cause it is linked to the central nervous system, the autonomic system is influen-
ced by the emotions; for example, anger, joy, or sadness influences the rate of
the heartbeat. This interconnectedness of the vascular and nervous systems of the
body is like the interconnectedness of the information infrastructure.
We might compare the nervous system to a paradigm because, like a paradigm,
it provides structure, meaning, and relevance as it responds to its environment.
The vascular system carries the blood to all parts of the body, essentially giving it
life; however, the speed of the blood's flow from the heart is regulated by the brain
and nervous system. The vascular system is the piping for life-giving blood, but it is
only part of an intricate network that is interrelated to the nervous system. Although
the heart and brain are independent organs, they are part of this intricate network;
furthermore, the brain responds to the body's environment and sends signals to
the organs and vascular system. In other words, the environment influences these
systems within the body.
The vascular system is responsible for continuing life, just as the information
infrastructure carries information to support and enhance life. The vascular and
nervous systems respond to the environment just as the information infrastructure,
also a complex system, responds to the environment, including technology,
policies, and culture. The information infrastructure is complex and interactive with
other information-related organizations, systems, and services, and technology
has enabled many changes in the information transfer processes, as described in
the next section.
Technology Enhances Information Transfer
In Chapter 3 we trace the development of many technologies that support in-
formation transfer, including transportation and communication technologies. Ad-
vances in computer technologies shook the world's information infrastructure dur-
ing the 20th century, especially in the recording, mass production, dissemination,
diffusion, and utilization of information.
Technology has the capability of collapsing traditional barriers to the transfer of
information including distance, time, and even physical disabilities. Communication
satellites provide citizens worldwide access to news events as they are happen-