AT&T Bell Laboratories
Type Ilebhu yocwaningo
i-United States 1925 abantu abangu-201 kuya ku-1,000 
Themes
I-AT&T Bell Laboratories kwakuyiyunithi yocwaningo nokuthuthukiswa ye-AT&T, yasungulwa ngo-1925 futhi isebenza ngaphansi kwamagama ahlukahlukene phakathi nomlando wayo ngaphambi kokuba yi-Nokia Bell Labs ngaphansi kwenhlangano yayo yomzali yamanje, i-Nokia. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, le labhorathri yakhiqiza iminikelo eyisisekelo emkhakheni wesayensi nobuchwepheshe, okuhlanganisa ukusungulwa kwe-transistor, ukuthuthukiswa kwesistimu yokusebenza ye-Unix nolimi lokuhlela lwe-C, kanye nokwakhiwa kwethiyori yolwazi ngu-Claude Shannon.
Abacwaningi baseBell Labs baye banikezwa imiklomelo yeNobel engu-10 kuya kwengu-11 kanye nemiklomelo engu-5 ye-Turing. Namuhla, besebenza njenge-Nokia Bell Labs, inhlangano iyaqhubeka nocwaningo ezindaweni ezihlanganisa i-AI nokufunda komshini, ukuxhumana okungenantambo, i-6G, i-quantum computing, kanye nokuxhumana kwe-optical neyasemkhathini.
Umsungulo Nokuthuthuka
I-Bell Laboratories yaqala njengomnyango wobunjiniyela we-Western Electric ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-19. Umsebenzi wayo wokuqala wawugxile ekuthuthukiseni ubuchwepheshe bezingcingo, okuwukwandiswa kwemvelo kwebhizinisi lenkampani eyayiyingxenye yayo.
Ngonyaka ka-1925, yahlongozwa ngokusemthethweni njenge-Bell Telephone Laboratories ngaphansi kobunikazi obabelwana ngabo phakathi kwe-AT&T ne-Western Electric. Lesi sakhiwo savumela ukuba isebenze njengomnyango wocwaningo nentuthuko ngenkathi igcina ubudlelwano obuseduze nezinhlelo zokusebenza ezithengiswayo.
Iminyaka yokuqala yale nhlangano yayibonakala ngokukhula okusheshayo. Ngawo-1960, inhloko-dolobha yayo yathuthela eMurray Hill, eNew Jersey, lapho yaba yindawo okugxilwe kuyo ekutholakaleni nasekuthuthukisweni okusha kwezobucwaningi nobunjiniyela.
Ngesikhathi esihamba phambili, ubunikazi bashintsha. Ngo-1996, i-AT&T yahlukanisa i-Bell Labs njengengxenye ye-Lucent Technologies. I-Nokia yathola inhlangano ngo-2016, wayiqamba kabusha njenge-Nokia Bell Labs.
Iminikelo Yesayensi Eyingqalabutho
Abacwaningi be-Bell Labs baye babhekele ezinye zezinto ezibaluleke kakhulu zobuchwepheshe ezithuthukiswe kakhulu ngekhulu lama-20. I-transistor, eyasungulwa ngo-1947, yaguqula imboni yezogesi ngokushintsha amashubhu amakhulu e-vacuum tubes ngezinto ezincane nezisebenza kahle.
Uhlelo lokusebenza lwe-Unix nolimi lwezinhlelo lwe-C lwavela e-Bell Labs ngeminyaka yawo-1970. Lezi zinsiza zaba yisisekelo sokubala kwesimanje, zashintsha indlela ukuthuthukiswa kwesofthiwe okwenziwa ngayo iminyaka eminingi.
Umsebenzi ka-Claude Shannon ngombono wolwazi waba yisisekelo sokuxhumana kwedijithali. Imibono yakhe isekela ukucindezelwa kwedatha, ukulungiswa kwamaphutha, namaprothokholi okuxhumana asetshenziswa namuhla.
Ezinye izinto ezisunguliwe eziphawulekayo zihlanganisa:
- I-laser, eyavumela ukuxhumana nge-fiber-optic kanye nobuchwepheshe bezokwelapha
- I-charge-coupled device (CCD), okuyingxenye ebalulekile ekuthwebuleni izithombe zedijithali
- I-photovoltaic cell, ethuthukisa ucwaningo lwamandla elanga
- I-radio astronomy, eyandisa ukuqonda kwethu indawo yonke
Le minikelo yanikeza abacwaningi be-Bell Labs ama-Nobel Prizes ayi-11 kanye nama-Turing Awards amahlanu. Isiko lenhlangano lakhuthaza ukubambisana okuphakathi kwemikhakha, okwavumela ucwaningo lwethiyori ukuba luhlangane nobunjiniyela obusebenzayo.
Ukugxila Kocwaningo Kwamanje
Namuhla, i-Nokia Bell Labs iyaqhubeka nokushayela inqubekelaphambili kwezobuchwepheshe kwezokuxhumana nangaphezulu. Izinto ezibalulekile zocwaningo zayo zihlanganisa ubuchwepheshe bezokuxhumana obulandelayo, njenge-6G, okuhloswe ngayo ukuhlanganisa ubuhlakani bokwenziwa kanye nokufunda komshini emgogodleni wenethiwekhi.
I-quantum computing ingesinye isici esibalulekile. Abacwaningi bahlola izindlela zokusebenzisa imithetho ye-quantum mechanics ukuze kube nokubala okusheshayo, ukuxhumana okuvikelekile, nokuhlola okuthuthukile.
Ukuxhumana ngamehlo (optical) nokuxhumana ngesikhala kuhlala kuyisisekelo somsebenzi wayo. Amaphrojekthi kulo mkhakha afuna ukuthuthukisa izivinini zokudlulisa idatha futhi avumele ukuxhumana okuthembekile ezindaweni ezikude noma ezinzima.
I-Artificial Intelligence Research Lab (AIR Lab) igxile ekuthuthukiseni izixazululo ezisekelwe ku-AI ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukusebenza kahle kwenethiwekhi, ukwenza izinto ngokuzenzakalelayo, kanye nezinhlelo zesofthiwe. Le mizamo isekela ukuvela kwamadolobha ahlakaniphile, amasistimu azimele, kanye nolwazi lwedijithali oluthokozisayo.
Ukubambisana kuhlala kuyisisekelo sendlela ye-Bell Labs. Ukwakha ubudlelwano namanyuvesi, ama-startup, nabaholi bemboni kusiza ukuhumusha ucwaningo lube yizinhlelo zokusebenza empilweni yangempela. I-Bell Labs Prize, umncintiswano wonyaka, ukhuthaza abasunguli bangaphandle ukuthi banikele ngemibono emisha.
Umthelela we-Bell Labs udlulela ngaphezu kokusungulwa kwayo. Imodeli yayo yokuhlanganisa ucwaningo oluyisisekelo nobunjiniyela obusetshenziswayo iye yagqugquzela amanye ama-lab ocwaningo ezinkampani. Abaphumelele kule nhlangano bahlanganisa ezinye zezibalo ezivelele kakhulu emkhakheni wesayensi nobuchwepheshe.
Ubuholi bamanje bugcizelela ukubaluleka kokuxhumanisa amandla anamuhla nezidingo zesikhathi esizayo. Abaholi abafana no-Igal Elbaz no-Raj Savoor bagqamisa indima yocwaningo ekwakheni imiphakathi esimeme, exhumekile.
Umlando wale nhlangano ubonisa ukuzibophezela ekuxazululeni izinkinga eziyinkimbinkimbi. Kusukela ezingcingweni zakuqala kuya ku-AI yesimanje, umsebenzi wayo uye wahlala uphusha imingcele yalokho okungenzeka kwezobuchwepheshe.
Njengoba iqhubeka phambili, i-Nokia Bell Labs ihlala igxile ekubhekaneni nezinselelo zomhlaba wedijithali okwandayo. Ucwaningo lwayo luyaqhubeka nokwakha ingqalasizinda esekela ukuxhumana emhlabeni wonke kanye nokusungula izinto ezintsha.