Goldberg: photoelectric statistical machine for record selection

What changed

Patented photoelectric pattern matching between search plate and records.

Scientific scope

The record is Goldberg’s U.S. patent 1,838,389, filed in 1928 and issued in 1931. German priority, the demonstrated Zeiss Ikon apparatus, later descriptions, Bush’s memex and modern search engines remain distinct; patent claims are not evidence of universal retrieval capability.

Evidence

The linked sources identify this contribution and its scope. WRS has not independently reconstructed the scientific claims. The record is Goldberg’s U.S. patent 1,838,389, filed in 1928 and issued in 1931. German priority, the demonstrated Zeiss Ikon apparatus, later descriptions, Bush’s memex and modern search engines remain distinct; patent claims are not evidence of universal retrieval capability.

Contributors

• Emanuel Goldberg · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.

• Goldberg, Statistical Machine, US 1,838,389
• Buckland, Emanuel Goldberg, Electronic Document Retrieval, and Vannevar Bush’s Memex

Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-16.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.

Full scientific record · Browse contribution grades · Request a correction