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Dead Media: What Other Forms Of Technology Have Gone Extinct?

June 18, 2008 - 8:39am — Anonymous Patron (not verified)

Kevin Kelly has an interesting article about what he believes to be the only extinct form of technology (at least the he could find): the Edge-Notched Cards.
Any library out there that can prove him wrong?

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June 18, 2008 - 12:57pm — effinglibrarian

magic deck of cards

the closest related use of a similar technology still is use is the magic deck of cards for magic tricks. you know those decks shaped like an isosceles trapezoid with one end slightly wider than the other?

so you say, "pick a card, any card," or even, "pick out all the Queens and I will make those little ladies reappear at the top of the deck."

so the "mark" picks cards. you rotate the deck so that the wider end of the chosen card is with the narrow end of the deck. you put the deck behind your back and slip out the chosen card. voila!

so no holes or punches, but still a way to sort data using cards. not the same, but ancient and still in use.

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