Advent of Computing
by Sean HaasWelcome 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.
Copyright: Sean Haas 2019
Episodes
Episode 132 - The PDP-1
1h 15m · PublishedIn 1959 the world bore witness to a new type of computer: the PDP-1. It was the first interactive computer to really make a dent in the market. Some say it was the first minicomputer: a totally new class of machine. But where did this computer come from, and what made it so different from the rest of the digital pack?
Selected sources:
https://americanhistory.si.edu/comphist/olsen.html - Smithsonian interview with Ken Olsen
https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2019/03/102785079-05-01-acc.pdf- Computing in the Middle Ages
https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_decBooksBeng_37322315 - Computer Egnineerling, Bell et al.
Episode 131 - Computer... Books?
1h 3m · PublishedI've been feeling like rambling, so it's time for a classic ramble. This time we are looking at the origins of books about computers. More specifically, computer books targeted at a general audience. Along the way we stumble into the first public disclosure of digital computers, the first intentionally unimportant machine, and wild speculation about the future of mechanical brains.
No sources listed this time, because I want the journey to be a surprise!
Episode 130 - ALGOL, Part II
1h 15m · PublishedThis is a hefty one. I usually try to keep things as accessible as possible, but this time we have to get a little more technical than usual. We are picking up in 1964, with the first proposals for a new version of ALGOL. From there we sail through the fraught waters of ALGOL X, Y, W, and finally 68. Along the way we see how a language evolves over time, and how people and politics mesh with technical issues.
Selected Sources:
https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/1061112.1061118- Successes and Failures of the ALGOL Effort
https://sci-hub.se/10.1109/MAHC.2010.8- Cold War Origins of IFIP
https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/algol/algol_bulletin/ - The ALGOL Bulletin
Episode 129 - ALGOL, Part I
1h 4m · PublishedALGOL is one of those topics that's haunted the show for a while. It comes up any time we talk about programming languages, and with good reason. Many of the features and ideas found in modern languages have their roots in ALGOL. Despite that influence, ALGOL itself remains somewhat obscure. It never reached the highs of a C or LISP.
In this series we are going to look at ALGOL from 1958 all up to 1968, keeping a careful eye on how the language evolved, how it's problems were addressed, and how new problems were introduced.
Selected Sources:
https://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/ALGOL/paper/Backus-Syntax_and_Semantics_of_Proposed_IAL.pdf - Backus, 1958 IAL report
https://algol60.org/reports/algol60_rr.pdf - ALGOL 1960 Report
https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/1060960.1060966 - Cleaning Up Algol
Episode 128 - Cryotrons LIVE!
41m · PublishedOriginally presented at VCF SoCal in February of 2024.
The cryotron, a superconductive switch, almost revolutionized computing. It's one of those fascinating near misses. In this episode we are talking about the history of the cryotron, how the NSA and supercomputing factors into the mix, and the current state of research into the topic. Did the NSA actually construct a supercomputer that ran in a vat of liquid helium? The answer is... maybe?
Video of this talk:
https://youtu.be/FqzSGTZ3TMU
Episode 127 - Nim
1h 0m · PublishedEpisode 126 - IBM Compatible (No, Not Those)
1h 13m · PublishedEpisode 125 - US v IBM
1h 10m · PublishedVCF SoCal - Interview with Micki and Steve
29m · PublishedIn this episode I sit down and talk with Micki and Steve about VCF SoCal, a new Vintage Computer Festival! The event is taking place in Orange, California on Febuary 16th and 17th.VCFs are a wonderful time, and a great opportunity to meet up with other retro enthusiasts.
The weekend will be filled with exhibits and speakers, including myself! I will be in attendence, and talking about some super cool technology. Stick around until the end of the interview for the full details.
More information on VCF SoCal can be found at: https://www.vcfsocal.com/
Episode 124 - The Full 360
1h 3m · PublishedAdvent of Computing has 150 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 134:53:48. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on November 28th 2022. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on May 31st, 2024 12:47.