Moore's Law and Social Theory

Abstract

The importance of technological innovation in defining and shaping our global economy has made it a central research topic over the past decade. The rise of electronics manufacturing technology, specifically the silicon transistor technology, is considered a major factor influencing technological innovation and in turn, affecting the world's economic and social transformation. The process of technological innovation generally involves getting new ideas accepted and converted into new technologies that are adopted and used. Sociologically, the innovation process can be observed as sequence of interconnected activities and mediations between human subjects and non-humans objects that are socially distributed and technologically connected. This paper observes technology industry's most eminent innovation edict known as Moore's Law, through one of sociology's most controversial theories, the actor-network theory (ANT). Suggested as a self-fulfilling prophecy resulting in a multibillion-dollar global technology industry and accredited to having put silicon in Silicon Valley, Moore's Law is often described as the driver for the information and communication technology revolution. Originally a prediction towards smaller, cheaper and more reliable computer processing power, this paper examines Moore's Law as a socio-technical innovation process. It proposes that Moore's Law is a complex assemblage comprised of interrelationships between ambitious scientists, chemicals, engineered technologies, culture and society. ANT is used as the theoretical framework to observe the progressive social relationships that constitute Moore's Law and introduce a translation. The objective of this experimental study is to examine the temporal socio-technical transformations and propose an alternative description for Moore's Law.