Analog audiophiles can mark the dark death day of the discrete tube or transistor circuit. Digital converts can praise the integration of multiple logic gates on one chip. Either way, Jack Kilby's experimental proof of combining multiple electronic elements onto one integrated circuit changed your life forever through Texas Instruments. And yes, it has all been downhill from there — at least until you reach technological singularity, in which case the trend is supposed to reverse according to optimistic futurists. [Wired] (Photo by Tambako The Jaguar)

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