Includes bibliographical references (pages 475-510) and index.
Contents:
Finale: The Great Digital Convergence. Foundations: Three great ideas. 8 Fourier's frequencies : the music of the world ; 2 Kotelnikov's samples: something from nothing ; 3 Turing's computations: eleventy-eleven skydillion -- Contributions: Two high technologies. 4 Dawn of digital light: the quickening ; 5 Movies and animation: sampling time -- The rise and shine of digital light. 6 Shapes of things to come ; 7 Renderings unto Caesars: shades of meaning ; 8 The millennium and the movie -- Finale: The Great Digital Convergence.
Summary:
The Great Digital Convergence of all media types into one universal digital medium occurred, with little fanfare, at the recent turn of the millennium. The bit became the universal medium, and the pixel--a particular packaging of bits--conquered the world. Henceforward, nearly every picture in the world would be composed of pixels--cell phone pictures, app interfaces, Mars Rover transmissions, book illustrations, video games. In A Biography of the Pixel, Pixar cofounder Alvy Ray Smith argues that the pixel is the organizing principle of most modern media, and he presents a few simple but profound ideas that unify the dazzling varieties of digital image making. -- From back cover.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.