Today is the 107th birthday of one of the most important people in computing history.
Grace Hopper, the Navy Rear Admiral, mathematician and computer scientist was the first ever to write a
compiler (the process that converts your programs into machine language, or ones and zeros), one of the first to see computers as something other than gigantic calculators, and even coined the term 'debugging' for removing problems within a machine. Of course, it was literally debugging in her case, since a moth had flown into relay 70 of the massive - and I mean massive; that's a picture of it below and all it did were calculations since it used mechanical relays as opposed to circuits -
Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator at Harvard University causing the system to experience operational problems. I have also included a picture of the bug itself, which is in the collection of the Smithsonian's Museum of American History. She admits she didn't actually find it, but her name is most often associated with it.
The above is just a small sample of her accomplishments, she really was a pioneer in the then-emerging world of computing capabilities. (One other thing that deserves mention - the site
gracehopper.org, ostensibly for celebrating women in computing, never actually mentions or discusses Grace Hopper!)
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I find it quite peculiar how a website that bears her name (gracehopper.org) and talks about women in computing and their contributions does not mention Grace Hopper, who was one of the pioneers in the industry. Very strange.
ReplyDeleteIn the simple terms, a bug flew into a massive machine. In the more complex term, a word was born along with a new idea. This was to "debug" a machine. It can get so much more complicated then that but I want to stay simple. My mind goes off on this. Your right Jose, could it be not to draw attention to problems? like the Nissan case? In some case a bloodline relative may sue. Who knows but back to the point on hand. December 9, 2013 is the 107th birthday celebration of Grace Hopper and she needs to be remembered. It is cool to see the picture of the moth and the room.
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog, its nice to see a women scientist accomplish so much when it comes to the technical world. I don't think its right that she is not mentioned in the gracehopper.org, that seems off to me and someone needs to revise that based off of everything she has done.
ReplyDeleteVery glad to know a woman wrote the first compiler, although she doesn't get the credit she deserves.
ReplyDeleteThis blog was interesting! I didn't know until reading this that the first computer scientists to write a complier was a woman. I haven't heard anything about this which usually means she didn't get much credit from it, seeing how it was 107 years ago times have changed especially with woman's rights.
ReplyDelete-Kristen Lalli IS 301