The Observation That Changed Computing

"The number of transistors incorporated in a chip will approximately double every 24 months."

- Gordon Moore, Intel co-founder

Moore first published his observation in 1965 in an article for Electronics Magazine. At the time, he noted that the number of components on integrated circuits had been doubling roughly every year. He later revised the doubling period to approximately 24 months, which became the canonical statement of the law. This was not a law of physics in a strict scientific sense; it was an empirical observation and an industry roadmap all at once.

Note: Moore's Law is an observation and a self-fulfilling industry target, not a fundamental law of nature. Engineers and chip designers used it as a benchmark to plan investments and R&D cycles.