The rise of the computer as an interactive medium occurred alongside the emergence of the practice and culture of "hacking," which developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) during the 1950s. Members of the Signals and Power Subcommittee of the Tech Model Railroad Club, active at the time at MIT, expressed great interest in gaining physical access to the large and expensive machines that were housed at the institute and owned by IBM. Considering that during this period the computer was still an innovative product and access to it was rare, it is reasonable to assume that the fascination with physical interaction with the computer originated elsewhere.

The research hypothesis posits that the emphasis on the importance of touch in the relationship between humans and computers has its roots in popular culture, particularly in the science fiction genre. The hackers at MIT were avid and enthusiastic consumers of science fiction literature, and they often sought to bring to life the various technological visions they encountered in such works. Therefore, by tracing the rise and dissemination of narratives dealing with sensory relationships between humans and machines in science fiction literature from the first half of the 20th century, the project aims to validate this research hypothesis and provide evidence for the reciprocal relationship between literary culture and technological development.

The project is led by Professor Naomi Mandel and assisted by Noam Meir.