Vannevar Bush was an American engineer and inventor, best known for his work during World War II and his contributions to computing. He played a key role in the development of the Manhattan Project, which led to the creation of the atomic bomb. Bush also served as the head of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development, where he coordinated scientific research for military purposes. In 1945, Bush published an influential essay titled "As We May Think," which envisioned a future of information technology and the concept of the memex, a hypothetical device for storing and retrieving information. His ideas laid the groundwork for modern computing and the development of the World Wide Web.