Category: Computer Science

Apollo Guidance Computer [1965 TV Program]

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date October 7, 2023
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Apollo Guidance Computer: Ramon Alonso (right) with John Fitch. — John Fitch speaks with Ramon Alonso (right), the Assistant Director of the Instrumentation Laboratory, about the Apollo guidance and navigation system's operations.

This 1965 MIT Science Reporter television program serves as a remarkable time capsule, capturing a pivotal moment in the history of space exploration and computer technology. Presented by MIT in association with WGBH-TV Boston and produced for NASA, the program provides an in-depth look at the Apollo guidance computer and navigation equipment, a technological marvel weighing less than 60 pounds (27 kg) but tasked with guiding astronauts to the Moon and back.

Hosted by MIT reporter John Fitch, the program features key scientists and engineers including Eldon Hall, Ramon Alonzo, and Albert Hopkins from the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, as well as Jack Poundstone from Raytheon’s Space Division. Together, they delve into the intricate complexities and monumental challenges of the project, from spacecraft trajectory control to computer construction and onboard telescope operation.

Technology Artificial Intelligence Computer Science Moon Landing Robotics Space Exploration

The future as envisioned in 1967: The year 1999

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date August 5, 2023
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Year 1999 as envisioned in 1967 — In an image deeply steeped in the undertones of tradition and patriarchy, a woman is captured in the act of perusing meal options on a computer screen. Her role, a silent testament to society's longstanding conventions, reveals that even in a world of futuristic technology, her domain remains confined to the kitchen and the duties of housework. There's a palpable irony in the juxtaposition: the cutting-edge digital interface set against the backdrop of a regressive vision of womanhood. Instead of breaking free from the chains of conventional gender roles, she remains tethered to the time-honored expectations of preparing meals, managing the household, and attending to the minutiae of daily life. The image underscores the limitations that patriarchal constructs place on women, highlighting that even as the world advances technologically, prevailing gender biases and societal norms can remain distressingly unchanged.

In 1967, as space-age fantasies ignited imaginations across the globe, the then Philco-Ford, now Ford Motor Company, attempted to capture the future’s heart and soul in a brief cinematic journey. The film titled “1999 AD” catapulted its audience three decades into the future, offering a tantalizing glimpse of everyday life for a quintessential American family, the Shores. Viewing this projection of the future now, the film emerges as a treasure trove of intriguing insights – a harmonious blend of eerily accurate predictions and glaring blind spots, seasoned with the unmistakable charm of the 1960s.

Computer Science Technology This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

The first “actual” computer bug was found on September 9, 1947

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date September 9, 2022
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On September 9, 1947, a team of computer scientists and engineers operating Harward University’s Mark II electromechanical computer started getting an error. They traced the error and found a moth trapped in a relay. The moth was carefully removed and taped to the logbook with a note saying “first actual case of bug being found”. Urban legend says this was the first case of a computer bug, but it’s not true.

Computer Science Technology This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

IBM PC (Personal Computer) was released on August 12, 1981

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date August 12, 2022
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IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC)

On August 12, 1981, the Personal Computer, (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) was released. This machine (and its descendants) started the PC revolution. It was a very small machine that could not only process information faster than those millions-of-dollars huge computers of the 1960s but also hook up to the home TV set, process text and store more words than a huge cookbook, all for a price tag of less than $1,600.

Unsurprisingly, it suddenly shook the personal computer market. The specifications of the IBM PC became one of the most popular computer design standards in the world. Even today, The majority of modern personal computers (PCs) are distant descendants of the IBM PC.

Space Exploration Computer Science Technology This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

The first E-mail from Space was sent on August 9, 1991

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date August 9, 2022
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Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-43 launch, August 2, 1991

On August 9, 1991, two STS-43 astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, Shannon W. Lucid and James C. Adamson sent the first e-mail from space. The astronauts used an Apple Macintosh portable computer and AppleLink, a popular service for Mac and Apple IIGS users before the commercialization of the Internet, offered from 1986 to 1994.

The recipient of the first e-mail from space was addressed to fellow NASA astronaut Marsha S. Ivins at Johnson Space Center. The message text read:

“Hello Earth! Greetings from the STS-43 Crew. This is the first AppleLink from space. Having a GREAT time, wish you were here,…send cryo and RCS! Hasta la vista, baby,…we’ll be back!”

Computer Science Technology

System/23 Datamaster, IBM’s first desktop computer was revealed on July 28, 1981

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date July 28, 2022
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On July 28, 1981, IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) revealed its first desktop computer, System/23 Datamaster, a demonstration of IBM’s efforts to shrink the size and cost of computing.

Computer Science Software Technology This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

Atari was founded on June 27, 1972

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date June 27, 2022
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Atari 2600 wood weener — An Atari 2600 four-switch "wood veneer" version, dating from 1980-1982. Shown with standard joystick. Photo by Evan-Amos - Own work, Public Domain, Link

On June 27, 1972, Atari Inc. was founded in Sunnyvale, California by American businessman and electrical engineer Nolan Bushnell (born February 5, 1943) and American electrical engineer Ted Dabney (May 2, 1937 – May 26, 2018). One the most recognized and celebrated brands in the world, the company is a pioneer in arcade games, home video game consoles, and home computers.

Computer Science Technology This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

Manchester Baby, the world’s first electronic stored-program computer ran its first program on June 21, 1948

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date June 21, 2022
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The recreation of the Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM - AKA the Manchester Baby) in the museum of science and industry. Photo by Geni - Photo by user:geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

On June 21, 1948, Manchester Baby, the world’s first electronic stored-program computer ran its first program.

Computer Science Technology This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

Charles Babbage Unveiled the Difference Engine on June 14, 1822

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Post date June 14, 2022
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Babbage Difference Engine — Charles Babbage difference engine at the Computer science museum in Mountain View, California. March 3, 2022. Link of the original photo on Deposit Photos

On June 14, 1822, English polymath Charles Babbage (26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) announced his invention of the Difference Engine on 14 June 1822, in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society. The title of the paper was “Note on the application of machinery to the computation of astronomical and mathematical tables”.

It was the first that kind of machine Babbage has built, so it’s called Difference Engine 0.

Computer Science Technology This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

UNIVAC I, the world’s first commercial computer was unveiled on June 14, 1951

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Post date June 14, 2022
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UNIVAC I console — UNIVAC I operator's console. Photo by ArnoldReinhold - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

On June 14, 1951, UNIVAC I (UNIVersal Automatic Computer I), the world’s first general-purpose electronic digital computer was unveiled. running on a 2.25 MHz clock, it was capable of completing 1,905 instructions per second.