What Is History Now?

istant professor of history t i t Hritlelberg College, has written ;1 provoc;itivc. work that calls for historians to recogni/e I he potential of computers to alter our vieu o t history. Historians tend to view computei-s a s a technical advance beyond the typewri1c.r. enabling them to more efficiently process u c d s in the construction of written works. Stalcy considers the computer to be a technical advance in line with the microscope and telehcope. the revolutionary importance of which i \ i n expanding our ability to view, reality in ways not previously possible. When historian\ use the potential of the computer as an instriiment of seeing in two and three dimension\. their understanding of the past will be tt-ansformed. Historiaiis. by training and tradition. are tied to thc written word and prose accounts of the past. M’hen visual sources are presented. they arc vicwed a s illustrative and enriching. but esserrtially supportive of, and therefore not equal I L I . the written narrative. That written mediuni shapes the historian’s view of the past. Writrcn history, regardless of language. is linear ;uid restricted to a flat surface. The historian‘\ view of historical events i s presented as ;I linear chain of cause and effect. If historian\ were to use computers to create visual \imiilations and models based on primary hisrot-ical evidence, they would be able to exploi-c \imultaneity, networks, and multidimensiirn;il patterns. Undcr\mnding of the past would be fundamentall) c.hanged. Visualization projects organitc iniormation in spatial forms that are multidiirieii\ional: computer visualization i s being uscd in i i variety o f fields; airlines use flight hinwlaiorh, military leaders create virtual battleiislds; and architects use computers to explore spiitial dimensions within their models. Stii1t.q’ relate5 the use of visualization in chemistry. ‘istronomy, mathematics, and other sciences. In each case. visualization allows the inve\tigator to observe pattcrns not previously recognized. Significantly, these visualizations \,t;iiid alone as bearers of meaningful informatioii. No written account is needed. Stalcy c,tlls for the historical profession to accept i\iialized projects as a legitimate endeavor. tyual in standing to written work. He offers ;I number of fine examples of virtual reality tcc.hnologies and concept maps that historian\ ~rould explore. He is cognizant of the difficult challenge he poses to the profession. Young scholars would have to be educated in the potential of visualization; standards for evaluating visualized projects would be needed; and visualized outcomes would have to be recognized as legitimate publications. Virtual reality projects would also need significant technical and financial support, and he has some interesting ideas on how the support might be generated. Computers, Visud i x i t i o t i , mnd History belongs in every university library. It should also be read by every historian who i s concerned about the future of history in the age of the computer.