Moore's LAW-the prediction made in 1965 by Gordon Moore, that the number of transistors on a chip of given size would double every two years-has had a good innings. The first integrated circuit (invented by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments, see above) was a clunky affair. Now the size of transistors is measured in bil-lionths of a metre. Moore's law has yielded fast, smart computers, with pretty graphics and worldwide connections. It has thereby ushered in an age of information technology unimaginable when Dr Moore coined it. Not bad going for what was originally just an off-the-cuff observation.
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