Past Events
TECHNOLOGY MANIAS: Comparing the 1999 Internet Bubble
with the 1840s Railroad Mania
A Lecture by ANDREW ODLYZKO
Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Digital Technology Center
and the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute at the University of Minnesota
Big Ideas About Information Lecture Series
Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 4 p.m., Room 120
"Internet traffic is doubling every three months,” wrote Business Week, on October 9, 2000. Others made similar claims – from the head of the Federal Communications Commission to the CEOs of telecommunications companies. None of this was true, as many millions of investors fou
nd out. Yet almost everyone repeated it, ad infinitum.
Except for Andrew Odlyzko, a researcher at AT&T Labs. He knew and said otherwise.
In this “Big Ideas about Information” lecture, Professor Odlyzko will compare the Internet bubble of the turn of the century with the British Railway Mania of the 1840s, the greatest technology mania in history – up until the Dot.com bubble. In both cases, clear evidence indicated that financial instruments would crash. Yet, vast fortunes were wagered. Now, many are asking: has Bubble 2.0 arrived? Professor Odlyzko offers his analytical insights on this nagging question.
New! Prof. Odlyzko is quoted extensively in The New York Times on March 13, 2008, diagnosing the challenging developments in the flow of Internet traffic. More details.
When: Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 4 – 5:30 p.m., with a reception in the atrium immediately following
Where: George Mason University School of Law, Room 120, 3301 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201 (Orange Line: Virginia Square-GMU Metro). Admission is free, but seating is limited.
Because of construction, parking is tight. See http://www.law.gmu.edu/geninfo/parking.
See IEP Web page: http://iep.gmu.edu.
Audio of Professor Odlyzko's Presentation (MP3)
Professor Odlyzko's Power Point Presentation (PPT)
Professor Odlyzko's Web site