Deep Learning: Our Miraculous Year 1990-1991
Many of the basic ideas behind the Deep Learning Revolution were published three decades ago within fewer than 12 months in our "Annus Mirabilis" 1990-91
The Origin of ‘Script Kiddie’
The term script kiddie probably originated around 1994, but the first public record is from 1996.
“Origins of the Apple human interface” lecture – an annotated transcription
The lecture was delivered by Larry Tesler and Chris Espinosa in 1997 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.
Happy Birthday, XMPP: 20th Anniversary of Jabber
Explore and join the Movim network
In Memoriam of Charles “Chuck” Peddle
It is with sadness WDC/I announce that on December 15, 2019, Chuck Peddle passed away. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the personal computer industry. We have lost a pioneer with Chuck’s passing.
Just a Drop in the Bucket (1994)
Subject: mother of all grease fires Date: Fri, 23 Sep 94 17:34:09 PDT From: Brian Reid [email address lost in the bog standard forwarding frenzy]
Take a Look at the Crossrail Station Under Bond Street
Of all the Crossrail stations, the most controversial has to be Bond Street - as it's so behind schedule that it might not open when the Elizabeth line's own delayed opening takes place.
What the Royal Astronomical Society in 1884 Tells Us About Python Today
The plainly wrong behavior of a ubiquitous Python library echoes a British astronomical report from 1884.
The Founding of Google Maps (2015)
How four partners took an idea from a whiteboard to the browser
“Bicycle of the Mind”
“When we invented the personal computer, we created a new kind of bicycle…a new man-machine partnership…a new generation of…
The Paris Pneumatic Clock Network (2018)
Douglas Self, clock, Pneumatic
Von Neumann’s critique of automata theory and logic in computer science (1947)
These remarks from “THE GENERAL AND LOGICAL THEORY OF AUTOMATA” 1947 are enormously insightful – no surprise. Von Neumann essentially predicts the emergence of the field of analysis of algorithms and algorithmic complexity. Not only does he point out the importance of understanding how many steps it will take to carry…
Intel 80386, part 1: Introduction
Practical development throughout the evolution of Windows.
During World War II, Steinway Produced Special Pianos for American Troops
During World War II, STEINWAY AND SONS produced specially-built pianos for the American troops. Called the Victory Vertical or G.I. Steinways, the pianos were sometimes airdropped onto battlefields to provide a bit of relaxation...
Retro 5″ Black and White TV as a computer monitor – A tale of pointlessness
The convoluted and ultimately pointless tale of how I connected a retro 80s 5" BW TV to my PC as a 3rd monitor
The Earliest Unix Code: An Anniversary Source Code Release
In celebration of Unix’s 50th anniversary, the CHM Software History Center is delighted to make publicly accessible for the first time some of the earliest source code produced in the Unix story.
Why We Dominate the Earth
Why did Homo sapiens diverge from the rest of the animal kingdom and go on to dominate the earth? Communication? Cooperation? According to best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari, that barely scratches the surface.
IBM System 360 Model 20 restoration: The big push
Well, where to start! The last few weeks have consisted primarily of anticipation, excitement, and towards the end, utter exhaustion. But finally, FINALLY, the IBM is home!
Aztec Political Thought (2013)
(A footnote on Inga Clendinnen’s extraordinary “ Aztecs: An Interpretation .” If there’s a better book on the Aztecs than this, I want to r...
Engineers put Leonardo da Vinci’s bridge design to the test
MIT engineers have analyzed a bridge design proposed by Leonardo da Vinci, and found that it would indeed have stood solidly, had it ever been built.
Why airplane windows have round corners (2016)
It's to prevent them from killing you