Name: How to build an information time machine
Uploaded: 2014-01-09T15:55:37Z
Duration: 10 min 6 s
Description: Imagine if you could surf Facebook ... from the Middle Ages. Well, it may not be as far off as it sounds. In a fun and interesting talk, Frederic Kaplan shows off the Venice Time Machine, a project to digitize 80 kilometers of books to create a historical and geographical simulation of Venice across 1,000 years.

Imagine if you could surf Facebook ... from the Middle Ages. Well, it may not be as far off as it sounds. In a fun and interesting talk, Frederic Kaplan shows off the Venice Time Machine, a project to digitize 80 kilometers of books to create a historical and geographical simulation of Venice across 1,000 years. 

How to build an information time machine

Digitizing 80 kilometers of Venice's historical records can transform how we explore the past. By extracting and organizing billions of events from centuries-old documents, researchers aim to create a Google Maps for time, letting users scroll through centuries of city life. This ambitious project involves overcoming major challenges in digitization, translation, and uncertainty, but could redefine historical research and public engagement. A city’s bureaucracy becomes a living, searchable archive for the digital age.