Online knowledge and the incandescent future of the university

Robert Sedgewick, 1997:

Welcome to Princeton. This may be your first Princeton lecture, but it's not a typical one. For one thing it's the only time you'll be in a class of size more than 1000! Also, lectures usually involve slides or vugraphs, or at least a blackboard. When Hal told me this lecture would be in this room and that no audio-visual aids would be possible, I realized the challenge: we've all been on vacation all summer, and now we have to deal in ideas, face-to-face. No slides. No movies. No organist. Not even any Internet access. Well, at least the experience ties in with the topic of this lecture, as you'll see.

Many of you have probably not done much academic work since you opened that thick envelope from Fred Hargadon. Right? The purpose of this lecture is to set your minds in motion, because you'll need them in gear at full speed when classes start on Thursday.

The topic that I've chosen for this purpose is the prospect of having all knowledge online, and its implications.

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