About Brian Hayes

I’m a writer who has always been interested in science, mathematics, and technology. For more than 20 years I’ve been writing and illustrating a column called “Computing Science” for American Scientist magazine; before that I was the editor of American Scientist and earlier still an editor on the staff of Scientific American. I also write a blog at bit-player.org, where you’ll find a list of my publications.

My fascination with the industrial landscape goes back to childhood. I began thinking about a book on the subject in the 1980s, and I began work in earnest in 1992, aided by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The next 15 years featured a series of long road trips with a car full of camera gear, making frequent stops for power plants, bridges, antenna towers, farm machinery, and other technological bric-a-brac. The book is my attempt to bring you along on those adventures.

I am always pleased to hear from readers. You can reach me by email at: brian@bit-player.org