❝By 'augmenting human intellect'
we mean
increasing the capability of a man to approach a complex problem situation, to gain comprehension to suit his particular needs, and to derive solutions to problems.
Increased capability in this respect is taken to mean a mixture of the following:
more-rapid comprehension,better comprehension, the possibility of gaining a useful degree of comprehension in a situation that previously was too complex,
speedier solutions,better solutions, and the possibility of finding solutions to problems that before
seemed insoluble.❞
— Doug Engelbart, in his Introduction to Augmenting Human Intellect
❝Engelbart did not think of the computer as merely improving human thinking,
but as transforming the processes of our institutions
in a more profound way...❞
— Janet H. Murray, on
Inventing the Medium in
New Media Reader
Watch short documentary to see what sprang from Doug's Framework (6 min.)
❝Doug thought at scale. He understood that a car is not simply a faster tricycle. He had faith that an augmented intellect, joined to millions of other augmented intellects, could clarify individual thought even as it empowered vast new modes of thinking, new modes of complex understanding that could grasp intricately meaningful symbols as quickly and comprehensively as we can recognize a loved one's face.❞
— Gardner Campbell, Dreams About How The World Could Be
This was the final report of a groundbreaking study conducted by Doug Engelbart at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) to flesh out his ideas for making the world a much better place in the fastest possible timeframe. In the course of this study, funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Doug forged a new discipline he called Augmenting the Human Intellect, with in-depth conceptual framework, research agenda, and strategic approach for bootstrapping the results at scale. This report summarizes his findings and recommendations. R&D funding ensued, and so the Augmenting Human Intellect Research Center (AHIRC) was born. In a few short years, Doug and his team forged a constellation of breakthrough firsts to herald in a new era in human effectiveness, as demonstrated first in 1968 in what is now known as the Mother of All Demos, again in 1969 with the 'sequel' to the Demo, and beyond. Technological firsts included interactive,collaborative, hyperlinked, networked personal computing, which he co-evolved alongside organizational innovations that were just as profound.
And for his efforts he was recognized with the National Medal of Technology & Innovation, the Turing Award, the Lemelson-MIT Prize, an Honorary Doctorate from Yale, and more, even as he continued pointing to the future through his management seminars at Stanford University, lectures, alliances, and more.
And now widely acclaimed:
"In one 1968 presentation, this inventor shaped modern computing"
- Smithsonian Magazine
"One of recent history's most acclaimed innovators"
- Inventors Digest
"Visionary is one of the most overused terms in tech, but it
almost seems insufficient to explain just what Doug Engelbart was'
- Fast Company
In other words, Doug's conceptual framework for augmenting the human intellect drove one of the more revolutionary research agendas on record, and, like Einstein's Theory of Relativity, is still enormously relevant. And yet we still have barely scratched the surface of fully appreciating, let along achieving, its true potential.
And all of this traces back to this one seminal document -- the strategic thinking, big picture vision, phenomenal thought experiments, unifying conceptual framework, organizing principles, approach, and application scenarios -- which informed and shaped all subsequent work.
Browsable with our usual enhanced navigation and
associative trails features, such as floating Table of Contents and
Purple Numbers (see About Our Website), with more formats offered through the Doug Engelbart Texts Archive at the Internet Archive, all hotlinked below.
Subsequently further abridged for inclusion in, among others:
• Computer Supported Cooperative Work:
A Book of Readings (1988).
• The New Media Reader (2003)
Watch
Doug's 1962 Framework (12 min.) - presented by Professor Gardner Campbell at the 2018 Engelbart Symposium celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Doug's legendary demo. See also Professor Campbell's Framework site framework.thoughtvectors.net capturing his guided group annotation of Doug's 1962 report, including video conversations with guest annotators and more.
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The
Mother of All Demos - our interactive video tour of the early implementation of Doug's Framework and Bootstrapping Strategy; for more on the demo visit theDemo.org3a3
Virtual Exhibits from Doug's Lab
- our online exhibit space created from the archives
- oral histories, texts, archive photos, video footage, arranged by topic
3a4
Just For Kids
- this section of the website is
devoted to kids interested in learning more about
Doug Engelbart's life and work.
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What
ever happened to Augmenting Human Intellect
- an O'Reilly Webinar by Scott McMurray, does an excellent job outlining
Doug's seminal work and the essence of his vision, with great visuals
(of course); includes how it might inform or inspire the field of data
visualization; he also covers the contributions of Vannevar Bush and
Charles Babbage.
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The Engelbart Academy
- our free online resource for learning about Doug's strategic vision, as it evolved from his 1962 report, ever pointing to the future
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Douglas
Engelbart: More Thoughts, TidBITS
- strategic vision for innovation "Douglas Engelbart can be credited with inventing much of the computing paradigm we all use today, but have we missed his most important ideas?"3b2
The man
who sees the future, U.S. News - "Yet, all the brilliant things he has produced are mere baubles compared to the ideas he's trying to get across."3b4
Complete Archives - visit the
Engelbart Archive Collection, a portal into his photos, videos, texts, slides, demos, software, press coverage, historic events, stories, and more.
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Browse the Table of Contents
Wordle of 1962 Report