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Advent of Computing

Welcome to Advent of Computing, the show that talks about the shocking, intriguing, and all too often relevant history of computing. A lot of little things we take for granted today have rich stories behind their creation, in each episode we will learn how older tech has lead to our modern world.

history

All Episodes

01:13:39

Episode 104 - Sketchpad

Advent of Computing ·

2023/03/19

We're finally taking a look at Sketchpad. This program was completed in 1963 as Ivan Sutherland's Ph.D. research. On the surface it looks like a very fancy drawing program. Under the hood it's hiding some impressive new programming techniques. Selected Sources: http://worrydream.com/refs/Sutherland-Sketchpad.pdf - Sutherland's Sketchpad thesis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=495nCzxM9PI - Sketchpad in action https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102738195 - Oral

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01:01:08

Episode 103 - The Text Interface

Advent of Computing ·

2023/03/06

This episode I attempt to find the first interactive computer text interface. All I can say is, well, it's a journey. Selected Sources: https://sci-hub.se/10.2307/3917015 - Early article on Stibitz's CNC Model I https://archive.org/details/fortranprimer0000orga/page/103/mode/1up?view=theater - Primer on the FORTRAN Monitor System https://kyber.io/rawvids/LISP_I_Programmers_Manual_LISP_I_Programmers_Manual.pdf - LISP I manual

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01:05:12

Episode 102 - Application of Ada

Advent of Computing ·

2023/02/20

This episode picks up where we left off last time. We are looking at Ada and its applications. How does Ada handle tasking? What's the deal with objects? And, most importantly, what are some neat uses of the language? Selected Sources: https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/956653.956654 - Rationale for the Design of Ada https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/bitstream/handle/2014/45345/08-2590_A1b.pdf - Cassini's AACS computer and software

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01:02:25

Episode 101 - Origins of Ada

Advent of Computing ·

2023/02/06

Ada is a fascinating language with a fascinating history. It was initially developed as part of a Department of Defence project. The plan was to create a standardized language for everyone inside the DoD. The results, well, they may just surprise you. Selected Sources: http://archive.adaic.com/pol-hist/history/holwg-93/holwg-93.htm - Ada at the HOLWG https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/956653.956654 - Rationale for the Design of Ada http://iment.com/maida/computer/requirements/strawman.htm -

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01:12:56

Episode 100 - Updates and Mysteries

Advent of Computing ·

2023/01/23

Advent of Computing has finally reached 100 episodes! Today we are taking a break from the usual content to discuss the show, it's arc, and some of the mysteries I have yet to solve.

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01:09:55

Episode 99 - The Berkeley Software Distribution

Advent of Computing ·

2023/01/09

UNIX is a big deal. It's one of the most influential programs in history. Most operating systems that we use today can trace their lineage back to UNIX. The only notable exception at this point is Windows. But all these new-fangled operating systems aren't blood relatives of UNIX, they are all derivatives. Second cousins, if you will. So how did we get from UNIX into a diverse field of UNIX-like things? It all starts with a little project at UC Berkeley. Selected Sources:

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01:10:28

Episode 98 - The Canon Cat

Advent of Computing ·

2022/12/26

This time we are looking at a somewhat obscure machine: the Canon Cat. Designed by Jef Raskin, the Cat is sometimes called the spiritual successor to the Macintosh. That's a nice little epitaph, but doesn't fully explain the tangled mess of things between Raskin, Jobs, Apple, and the Mac. Today we will try to untangle some of that mess as we examine a fascinating little computer that could have changed the world. Selected Sources: http://www.canoncat.net/ -- Everything about the Cat

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01:07:41

Episode 97 - What Exactly IS A Database? Part II

Advent of Computing ·

2022/12/13

We've approach the beast itself: SQL. Or, as it used to be known, SEQUEL. In this episode we will discuss how early navigational databases failed, and how we were able to move past them into a relational future. It's a fascinating tale about how careful research and planning can lead to much better tools. Selected sources: https://www.seas.upenn.edu/~zives/03f/cis550/codd.pdf -- Dr. Codd on relational databases

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01:00:17

Episode 96 - What Exactly IS A Database? Part I

Advent of Computing ·

2022/11/28

I've fallen into a bit of a data rabbit hole, and you get to join me. In this episode I'm starting my journey to understand where databases came from, and how they started to evolve. This will serve as a foundation for next episode, when we will dive into one of the most popular databases from the 1970s: SQL. Along the way we wrestle with GE, the realities of the Apollo Program, and try to figure out what a database really is. Selected Sources: https://sci-hub.se/10.1109/MAHC.2009.110 - A

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01:06:27

Episode 95 - Aspen Movie Map

Advent of Computing ·

2022/11/14

So far I've strayed away from hypermedia in my larger hypertext coverage. This episode helps to fix that. Today we are looking at Aspen Movie Map, a project from 1978 that created a virtual Aspen, Colorado. Why would you want to digitize an entire city? Why did DARPA fund a trip to Aspen? And how does this link up with hypermedia? All this and more will be answered.

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01:14:55

Episode 94 - Robots, and the End of Humanity

Advent of Computing ·

2022/10/30

Robots have always fascinated and horrified humanity in equal measure. The prospect of a synthetic lifeform is at times exciting, but can quickly turn south. Luckily we've never gotten that far... or have we? This episode we will look at a selection of early robots, from the Mechanical Turk to Elektro. All have one thing in common: they run off smoke and mirrors. Selected Sources: Robots of Westinghouse by Scott Shaut - Best source on Elektro and his friends

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01:04:16

Episode 93 - Fun and (Horror) Games

Advent of Computing ·

2022/10/16

Anybody up for a fright? This episode we are looking at 3 of the earliest horror video games I can find. Over this journey we will look at different programmatic ways to instill fear, how platforms can affect the route to terror, and even dig up the mystery of the first horror game. Selected Sources: http://www.twenex.org/ - Sign up for an account and play Haunt https://www.zx-gaming.co.uk/games/monstermaze/default.htm - Escape from Rex and his maze! The Untold History of Japanese

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01:25:44

Episode 92 - Copy Protection

Advent of Computing ·

2022/10/02

It's Spook Month 2022! To kick things off we are diving into the frustrating depth of copy protection, piracy, and the origins of commercial software. In 1969 the Great Unbundling made the software market viable for the first time. Ever since then pirates and software vendors have been locked in a battle over bits. This episode traces the early days of copy protection, and how spite played an important role. Selected Sources: https://fadden.com/apple2/cassette-protect.html - In depth

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01:23:16

Episode 91 - Whirlwind

Advent of Computing ·

2022/09/18

Whirlwind represents a fascinating story of transition. The project started in the middle of the 1940s as an analog machine. As times changed it became a digital device. By 1951 it was perhaps the fastest computer in the world, filled to the brim with new approaches to design and new technology. It may have even been host to the first video game. Selected Sources: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD0896850.pdf - Report on MIT's storage tubes https://sci-hub.se/10.1109/MAHC.1983.10081 -

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01:20:03

Episode 90 - Where Did The S100 Bus Go?

Advent of Computing ·

2022/09/04

In the last half of the 70s there was one gold standard in home computing: S100. This was a standardized bus that was the heart of many computers. It allowed for the interchange of parts from different manufacturers. Best of all, the S100 bus was simple. This made for a wonderful platform for hobbyists, and helped jump start the home computer revolution. And then... it disappeared. Where did the S100 bus go, and would we have been better off if it stuck around? This episode we tackle these

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01:16:54

Episode 89 - Forth

Advent of Computing ·

2022/08/21

What language has two stacks? What language is used on satellites and in home computers? What language deals in words? Why, Forth, of course! Forth is a highly unique language developed in the 60s by Chuck Moore. And when I say unique, I mean unique. Forth uses reverse polish notation for all operations, along with a dedicated data stack for passing parameters. But it's not just unique for the fun of it, Forth's design is highly deliberate. It offers a level of simplicity and power that's rarely

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01:14:38

Episode 88 - BEFLIX, Early Digital Animation

Advent of Computing ·

2022/08/07

Digital animation has really become an artform in and of itself. In the current epoch these animations play out on fancy bitmapped displays, but it's origins are far more visceral. Or maybe we should say far more hacky. This episode we are diving in to BEFLIX: an early animation toolchain from Bell Labs that produced computer films on physical rolls of film. Selected Sources: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/363958.363993 - Paper on Zajac animation

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01:08:09

Episode 87 - The ILLIAC Suite

Advent of Computing ·

2022/07/24

Can a computer be creative? Can we program a machine to make art? It turns out the answer is yes, and it doesn't even take artificial intelligence. This episode we are diving in to the ILLIAC Suite, a piece for string quartet that was composed by a computer. Along the way we will examine the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, and how methods used to create the hydrogen bomb were adapted to create music. Selected Sources: https://archive.org/details/experimentalmusi0000hill/page/n5/mode/1up -

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01:15:33

Episode 86 - Fluidic Computing

Advent of Computing ·

2022/07/10

What is a computer? A miserable pile of electrons! But... not necessarily. I have yet to find a fully satisfying definition for "computer" that encompasses the full grandeur of calculating machines. This episode we are further complicating that quest by adding fluid based computers to the mix. We will be looking at 3 machines that crunched numbers using nothing but fluids and tubes. There's actually a rich tradition of fluidics to talk about. Selected sources:

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01:14:32

Episode 85 - Visi On, the PC GUI

Advent of Computing ·

2022/06/26

More Visi-fun ahead! Today we are looking at Visi On, a visionary user interface developed for home computers. Along the way we will discuss smalltalk, portability, and how the slick graphics over at Xerox were adapted to run on smaller machines. Selected Sources: http://toastytech.com/guis/vision.html - Toasty Tech's Visi On page, with screenshots and downloads for emulation https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1983-06/page/n255/mode/2up - A Guided Tour of Visi On

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195 results

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