Written Knowledge and Complex Technology: A Case Study of the American Institute of Mining Engineers

Written knowledge enables complex technology.This statement marks a major shift in human activity, both in our physical surroundings and in our mental activity.This paper describes the early publication history of the American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME), founded in 1871, as they sought to create an industrial knowledge-base.AIME was a professional society dedicated to gathering, verifying, mediating and publishing current written, drawn, and quantitative knowledge about the iron and steel industries.As the number of technological discoveries increased and the industry became more complex, AIME split into divisions reflecting the current fields of growth.By the end of the 20th century, most of the divisions of AIME stopped publishing, signaling a decline in the steel industry in the United States.The theme here is that codified knowledge and complex technology grow and fade as two sides of one coin.