Related papers: Digitality as a "longue dur\`ee" historical phenom…
The amount of sequence data obtained from ancient samples has dramatically expanded in the last decade, and so have the types of questions that can now be addressed using ancient DNA. In the field of human history, while ancient DNA has…
Programming languages are engineered languages that allow to instruct a machine and share algorithmic information; they have a great influence on the society since they underlie almost every information technology artefact, and they are at…
Data acquisition forms the primary step in all empirical research. The availability of data directly impacts the quality and extent of conclusions and insights. In particular, larger and more detailed datasets provide convincing answers…
The game of chess as always been viewed as an iconic representation of intellectual prowess. Since the very beginning of computer science, the challenge of being able to program a computer capable of playing chess and beating humans has…
Web archives preserve unique and historically valuable information. They hold a record of past events and memories published by all kinds of people, such as journalists, politicians and ordinary people who have shared their testimony and…
Half a century ago, Charles Bachman foresaw the significance and centrality of data in the digital world. In this short paper, we delve into the evolution of these ideas within the database community over the past decades. We believe that…
The advent of the digital era provided a fertile ground for the development of virtual societies, complex systems influencing real-world dynamics. Understanding online human behavior and its relevance beyond the digital boundaries is still…
A confluence of advances in the computer and mathematical sciences has unleashed unprecedented capabilities for enabling true evidence-based decision making. These capabilities are making possible the large-scale capture of data and the…
In the 15th century, printing revolutionized the dissemination of information. Innovations such as typewriters and computers have increased the speed and volume of information flows over time. More recent developments in large language…
Hybrid technologies enable the blending of physical and digital elements, creating new ways to experience and interact with the world. Such technologies can transform engagement with relics, both secular and sacred but they present…
When technology enters applications and processes with a long tradition of controversial societal debate, multi-faceted new ethical and legal questions arise. This paper focusses on the process of whistleblowing, an activity with large…
Digital networks have profoundly transformed the ways in which individuals interact, exchange information, and establish connections, leading to the emergence of phenomena such as virality, misinformation cascades, and online polarization.…
Computer models and information systems have been used for urban planning and design since the 1950s. Their capacity for analysis and problem-solving has increased substantially since then with hardware and software being able to manage…
The changing heavens have played a central role in the scientific effort of astronomers for centuries. Galileo's synoptic observations of the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus starting in 1610, provided strong refutation of Ptolemaic…
Interactive digital storytelling becomes a popular choice for information presentation in many fields. Its application spans from media industry and business information visualization, through digital cultural heritage, serious games,…
The emergence of new digital technologies has allowed the study of human behaviour at a scale and at level of granularity that were unthinkable just a decade ago. In particular, by analysing the digital traces left by people interacting in…
Data integration has been recently challenged by the need to handle large volumes of data, arriving at high velocity from a variety of sources, which demonstrate varying levels of veracity. This challenging setting, often referred to as big…
Digital technology is everywhere for the benefit of our daily and professional life. It strongly impacts our life and was crucial to maintain professional and social activities during the COVID19 crisis. Similarly, digital technologies are…
The digital transformation is turning archives, both old and new, into data. As a consequence, automation in the form of artificial intelligence techniques is increasingly applied both to scale traditional recordkeeping activities, and to…
The application of evolution in the digital realm, with the goal of creating artificial intelligence and artificial life, has a history as long as that of the digital computer itself. We illustrate the intertwined history of these ideas,…