Results for: pioneers in tech
Pioneers in Tech: Katherine Johnson, no longer a hidden figure
The movie “Hidden Figures” introduced the masses to Katherine Johnson, but it only scratched the surface of this fascinating and influential woman’s life. Played by Taraji P. Henson in the 2016 film, Johnson broke barriers throughout her life and played...
Pioneers in Tech: Ada Lovelace and the analytical engine
Many tech pioneers have a similar dossier: male, came of age in the late 1970s, dropped out of college, made millions building computers in their garage/dorm room/basement. Then, there’s Ada Lovelace: an 1800s female with a backstory suitable for a...
Pioneers in Tech: Grace Murray Hopper, the “Mother of Computing”
As you celebrate the moms in your life this weekend, raise a glass to Grace Murray Hopper, also known as the “Mother of Computing,” the “Mother of COBOL” or simply “Amazing Grace.” And amazing she was. This technology trailblazer advocated...
Tech Time Warp: The staying power of COBOL
In this edition of Tech Time Warp, we see how technology moves quickly. Each new iPhone renders the previous generation obsolete, with the earliest models now firmly in the quaint antique category. That’s why it’s so remarkable that COBOL, a...
Tech Time Warp: Not a stretch about IBM supercomputer
It’s ironic that a computer deemed “not good enough” could have reigned as the world’s fastest computer for three years and made a lasting impact on the tech industry. But that’s the story we dive into in this edition of...
Tech Time Warp: Barbie’s complicated relationship with STEM
In this week’s tech time warp, we’re taking a look at Barbie—yes, the iconic doll turned blockbuster movie heroine. She has had a complicated relationship with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) would be an understatement. Teen Talk Barbie, released...
Tech Time Warp: Tandy heats up PC clone wars
In this week’s Tech Time Warp, we’re going back to the early days of the Tandy Corporation. Tandy became a player in personal computers with the 1977 introduction of its TRS-80 at RadioShack stores—but that was far from Tandy’s only...
Tech Time Warp: Jean Sammet changes her opinion of computers
In this week’s Tech Time Warp, we’re going back to programming in the 50’s. Introduced in 1959, the programming language COBOL—common, business-oriented language—is still heavily in use today, with an estimated 200 billion lines of code relied upon by government...
Tech Time Warp: The “Model K” lays groundwork for digital computing
If you need inspiration for using your free time wisely, look no further than Bell Labs computer pioneer George Stibitz. One weekend during fall 1937, Stibitz (who was born April 30, 1904) sat at his kitchen table and used a...
Tech Time Warp: Harvest computer decodes secrets for the NSA
On February 27, 1976, a ground-breaking supercomputer was quietly decommissioned at the National Security Agency, with its story only to be told years later, once declassified. The one-of-a-kind Harvest computer—a special model of the IBM 7030, or Stretch—was specifically built...
