The Origins of the Term Cyberspace
Where does the term cyberspace originate? The story behind this word is more intricate than one might initially think, making it worthwhile to delve into its evolution and significance. Additionally, where did the cyber- prefix come from? This exploration will take us through the realms of science fiction, avant-garde art, and even nautical engineering.
The roots of cyberspace and the cyber- prefix can be traced back to the 19th century. In 1868, a French engineer named Léon Farcot pioneered an automatic control system for the rudder of a steamship. This innovation was based on the concept of feedback, a method that assesses the gap between the intended outcome and the current state, striving to minimize that gap until it reaches zero. For steamships, this meant that steam pressure would be regulated to cease once the vessel arrived at its intended location.
As we transitioned into the 20th century, advancements in electronic technology allowed for the refinement and sophistication of this automatic process. By 1948, American mathematician Norbert Wiener developed a complex mathematical framework for understanding feedback systems, which led to the establishment of a new scientific discipline known as cybernetics. Wiener derived this term from the ancient Greek word kybernetes, meaning ‘steersman’. Remarkably, this same root also underpins the English words govern and government, as to govern is to guide or steer society in a specific direction.
Wiener’s terminology was fitting because his automated feedback systems functioned similarly to a steersman or helmsman of the past, who would adjust the rudder based on the ship’s position. However, Wiener intended cybernetics to encompass more than just maritime technology; he viewed it as a comprehensive field of control and communication theory applicable to both machines and living beings.
Although Wiener is credited with coining the term, he primarily introduced it into the English language, expanding its application to a new domain of communication science. As noted by Julia Cresswell in The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, the French had utilized the term cybernétique over a century earlier to discuss the art of governance. Nevertheless, Wiener’s adaptation of the term significantly influenced the creation of subsequent cyber- terms, such as cyberpunk (1983), cybersex (1991), and the term cyberspace.
But when exactly was cyberspace first coined, and by whom? The name most commonly associated with this term is William Gibson, the American author who has arguably done more than anyone else to envision the contemporary age, characterized by the internet and smartphones. Gibson, born in 1948, is often hailed as the most notable writer in the cyberpunk genre.
Gibson embarked on his literary journey by penning short stories in the early 1980s; however, it was his seminal novel Neuromancer, published in 1984, that catapulted him to fame. His works resonate with themes similar to those found in films like The Matrix, where entire realities are simulated through technology. Although Gibson was not involved in that film, both mediums explore strikingly similar concepts.
While it is Gibson who is frequently credited with coining the term cyberspace, the truth is that the term had already made an appearance. The first known use of cyberspace can be traced back to the late 1960s, when Danish artist Susanne Ussing (1940-1998) and her partner, architect Carsten Hoff (b. 1934), exhibited their work under the name Atelier Cyberspace. Their installations focused on ‘sensory spaces’ that responded to human interaction and movement, a concept they encapsulated with this name.
It is important to note that the internet, as we know it today, did not exist in the 1960s when Atelier Cyberspace emerged. The world wide web was still decades away, and the early precursor known as ‘the internet’ was just beginning to take shape in the early 1970s. Instead, the cyberspace envisioned by Ussing and Hoff referred to a physical environment rather than the virtual realm we associate with the term today.
Thus, while Gibson may not have been the original creator of the term, he was the first to apply it to the virtual or ‘online’ world we refer to when we use the word cyberspace in contemporary discussions. If you haven’t yet explored Gibson’s literature, it is certainly worth your time, starting perhaps with Burning Chrome and the collection of stories that share its title.