|BEIJING AND SAN FRANCISCO|28 min read
ABOUT A CENTURY ago, engineers created a new sort of space: the control room. Before then, things that needed control were controlled by people on the spot. But as district heating systems, railway networks, electric grids and the like grew more complex, it began to make sense to put the controls all in one place. Dials and light bulbs brought the way the world was working into the room. Levers, stopcocks, switches and buttons sent decisions back out.
This article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline “Beware the Borg”
From the December 21st 2019 edition
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