How might we account for the effectivity of Silicon Valley?  How has Silicon Valley arrived at this point in its development?

There is an aura of mystery about Silicon Valley’s origins. Both as a place and a culture, Silicon Valley speaks loudly in our civilization today. This research investigates what influences and tendencies potentialized Silicon Valley to become the capital of media technology culture. I had a hunch that there was close traction between the geographical setting and the technology present in this locale, and by exploring the infrastructures of culture and technology I attempt to illuminate this point.

Companies such as Apple, Hewlett Packard, and Intel compose part of the legend that Silicon Valley has become. But the roots of that legend extend further in time and geography. Others have approached the same questions and have noted its industrial roots. My contention is the modern economic and cultural phenomenon of Silicon Valley crystallized because of its local geomorphology. This contributed to its historical and material conditions for such unfolding.

This thesis will distinguish itself from others not just by connecting geography to technical developments, but also by exploring the epistemological disposition that Silicon Valley inherited. By addressing the research questions through methods and concepts derived from Media Archeology, I argue that the manifold inter-involvements of geomorphology and technical enthusiasm account for the force of Silicon Valley in media history and culture.