When I was in college in 1977 we used to shoot the shit with our freshman chemistry prof during office hours. He'd tell stories of his work with early computers. There were like 15000 tubes in them and the typical lifetime of a tube was about 15000 hours so these things would go down like every hour. A tech would crawl in replace the tube, it would go back up and crash down a bit later.
There was another very impressive computer called colossus (the real one not the sci fi version) during WW2. It was kept secret for 30 years and so never played a role in computer development.
I love Colossus! I would hesitate to say it played no role in computer development, though. Turing and Von Neumann were both well aware of its existence, and it was Colossus's abilities that inspired Turing to propose a universal "Turing machine."
Still, imagine how much further along we might be if it hadn't been kept secret until 1970!
Your writing is so clear, and always interesting. The history of computers, and ENIAC in particular has always fascinated me. Allow me to add this link to an article in Smithsonian magazine from a few years ago.
NP, just wanted to check which of the 4 images I created (with dallE) you really liked. Sometimes it's the header that's a home run, but sometimes one of the better images is down below, depending on the article.
Yet here we are, bitching when our smartphone takes one additional millisecond to buffer a Tik-Tok video. Truly, we don't appreciate how far we've come.
Nice historical contextualization!
When I was in college in 1977 we used to shoot the shit with our freshman chemistry prof during office hours. He'd tell stories of his work with early computers. There were like 15000 tubes in them and the typical lifetime of a tube was about 15000 hours so these things would go down like every hour. A tech would crawl in replace the tube, it would go back up and crash down a bit later.
There was another very impressive computer called colossus (the real one not the sci fi version) during WW2. It was kept secret for 30 years and so never played a role in computer development.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer#
I love Colossus! I would hesitate to say it played no role in computer development, though. Turing and Von Neumann were both well aware of its existence, and it was Colossus's abilities that inspired Turing to propose a universal "Turing machine."
Still, imagine how much further along we might be if it hadn't been kept secret until 1970!
Yeah, it was pretty capable based on an article I read where the author was comparing processing rates with those of 1960's computers, IIRC.
Great comments Mike! 2 things: I was a college freshman in '77, sadly my only year of higher (institutional) education.
Colossus the movie fascinated and also scared the shit out of me when I saw it, newly released in our small town theatre.
Thanks for the massive gaping rabbit hole. Through looking up ENIAC, I found Konrad Zuse and then found this beautiful vintage brochure: http://www.horst-zuse.homepage.t-online.de/zuse-broschuere.html - Bon voyage
Yes! I need to write about Zuse one day too. He played a really important role.
Also I’d buy any of these tshirts: http://www.horst-zuse.homepage.t-online.de/zuse%20kg%20-%20werbung.html
Your writing is so clear, and always interesting. The history of computers, and ENIAC in particular has always fascinated me. Allow me to add this link to an article in Smithsonian magazine from a few years ago.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-brief-history-of-the-eniac-computer-3889120/
Absolutely, Brad! Thanks for stopping by to say that; I really appreciate it.
The evolution of computers is so fascinating.
The image of the women adjusting the lightbulb things. Sorry haven’t dug into the article yet so I can’t be more technical.
NP, just wanted to check which of the 4 images I created (with dallE) you really liked. Sometimes it's the header that's a home run, but sometimes one of the better images is down below, depending on the article.
Wow… Love this image!!!
Thanks! Which one?
Really enjoyed the glimpse back at tech history! Thanks
Hey, thanks for letting me know!
Since you used the word, I now have to rewatch the 1927 sci fi classic “Metropolis” very soon.
https://youtu.be/gdtZv3XROnc?si=nNEu9pXhwZUT3k_5
It's really beautiful.
I love the picture!
Yet here we are, bitching when our smartphone takes one additional millisecond to buffer a Tik-Tok video. Truly, we don't appreciate how far we've come.