The U.S. Military and the The U.S. Military and the History of ComputingHistory of Computing

War! War! What is it good for? What is it good for? Absolutely Nothing!Absolutely Nothing!

-Edwin Starr-Edwin Starr

Necessity is the mother of…Necessity is the mother of…

Thank the U.S. Thank the U.S. Military for: Military for: Game consolesGame consoles Cell phonesCell phones InternetInternet OnStar and GPSOnStar and GPS iPodsiPods Personal ComputersPersonal Computers Digital camerasDigital cameras EmailEmail Text messagingText messaging

Manual CalculatorsManual Calculators

1200 BC - The abacus1200 BC - The abacus 1600 AD – John Napier & 1600 AD – John Napier &

Napier’s BonesNapier’s Bones 1621 AD – William Oughtred 1621 AD – William Oughtred

Slide RuleSlide Rule

Napier’s BonesNapier’s Bones

Napier’s BonesNapier’s Bones

http://nrich.maths.org/public/terms.php

Mechanical CalculatorsMechanical Calculators

1500 AD - Da Vinci sketches a 1500 AD - Da Vinci sketches a mechanical calculatormechanical calculator

1623 – Wilhelm Schickard’s 1623 – Wilhelm Schickard’s CalculatorCalculator

1642 – Blaise Pascal invents 1642 – Blaise Pascal invents the Pascalinethe Pascaline

1673 – Gottfried W. von 1673 – Gottfried W. von Leibniz CalculatorLeibniz Calculator

1800 - Joseph-Marie 1800 - Joseph-Marie Jacquard's loomJacquard's loom

Photos courtesy IBMPhotos courtesy IBM

Schickard’s CalculatorSchickard’s Calculator

Jacquard's loomJacquard's loom

Jacquard's loomJacquard's loom

Mechanical CalculatorsMechanical Calculators

1822 – Charles Babbage creates the 1822 – Charles Babbage creates the Difference Engine and designs the Difference Engine and designs the Analytical EngineAnalytical Engine

1890 – Herman Hollerith created the 1890 – Herman Hollerith created the Hollerith Tabulating Machine for the 1890 Hollerith Tabulating Machine for the 1890 CensusCensus

Faster and ElectronicFaster and Electronic

1937 – Alan Turing invents the Turing 1937 – Alan Turing invents the Turing machinemachine

1937-42 – John Atanasoff- Clifford Berry 1937-42 – John Atanasoff- Clifford Berry Create the ABC MachineCreate the ABC Machine

1938 – Konrad Zuse developed the Z31938 – Konrad Zuse developed the Z3 1944 - Howard Aiken & Grace Hopper 1944 - Howard Aiken & Grace Hopper

build the Harvard Mark I Computerbuild the Harvard Mark I Computer

Military DilemmasMilitary Dilemmas

I can’t see the enemy.I can’t see the enemy. The earth really is The earth really is

round!round! What is 50 MPH?What is 50 MPH? Hello? Is there anyone Hello? Is there anyone

out there? Can anyone out there? Can anyone hear me.hear me.

Photo courtesy of Hasbro

Weapons of WarWeapons of War Increased rangeIncreased range Increased speedIncreased speed Advanced flightAdvanced flight Industrial ageIndustrial age Increasingly complex Increasingly complex

engineering and engineering and manufacturingmanufacturing

Advanced Advanced communicationscommunications

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Firing TablesFiring Tables

1943-45 – ENIAC1943-45 – ENIAC Electronic Numerical Integrator and ComputerElectronic Numerical Integrator and Computer Used to create firing tablesUsed to create firing tables 10 feet tall10 feet tall 1,000 square feet of floor space1,000 square feet of floor space Weighed 30 tonsWeighed 30 tons 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, 6,000 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, 6,000

switches, and 18,000 vacuum tubesswitches, and 18,000 vacuum tubes

ENIACENIAC

http://ftp.arl.mil/ftp/historic-computers/

ENIACENIAC

http://ftp.arl.mil/ftp/historic-computers/

ENIACENIAC

http://ftp.arl.mil/ftp/historic-computers/

ENIACENIAC

http://ftp.arl.mil/ftp/historic-computers/

ENIACENIAC

While ENIAC did make calculating firing While ENIAC did make calculating firing tables easier, ENIAC was not being used tables easier, ENIAC was not being used to it’s full potential.to it’s full potential.

A scientist named John Von Neumann A scientist named John Von Neumann wanted to calculate the maximum yield for wanted to calculate the maximum yield for the new bomb being created and asked to the new bomb being created and asked to use ENIAC because it was faster than the use ENIAC because it was faster than the Mark I. The calculated results were Mark I. The calculated results were unbelievable.unbelievable.

The Trinity BombThe Trinity Bomb

Photo courtesy of The National Archives

WolfpacksWolfpacks

http://www.lewrockwell.com

EnigmaEnigma

CryptographyCryptography Enigma and Lorenz Enigma and Lorenz

machinesmachines Geheimschreiber and Geheimschreiber and

FISHFISH

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

ColossusColossus

No longer just an No longer just an adding machineadding machine

First electronic digital First electronic digital programmable programmable computercomputer

Limited programmingLimited programming After the war it was After the war it was

ordered to be ordered to be destroyeddestroyed

Future of TechnologyFuture of Technology

After WW2 population became educatedAfter WW2 population became educated The Military took a major initiative in The Military took a major initiative in

technology developmenttechnology development Hollerith showed the business world Hollerith showed the business world

money could be made with technology money could be made with technology developmentdevelopment

Tradition of eccentric hobbyists continue to Tradition of eccentric hobbyists continue to this day- Apple IIthis day- Apple II

Would you have invested?Would you have invested?

Lab AssignmentLab Assignment

Write a 2-3 page about Alan TuringWrite a 2-3 page about Alan Turing

LinksLinks

http://enigmaco.de/index-enigma.htmlhttp://enigmaco.de/index-enigma.html http://http://

users.telenet.be/d.rijmenants/en/enigmasiusers.telenet.be/d.rijmenants/en/enigmasim.htmm.htm

http://www.tux.org/~bagleyd/java/AbacusAhttp://www.tux.org/~bagleyd/java/AbacusApp.htmlpp.html

http://www.antiquark.com/sliderule/sim/n5http://www.antiquark.com/sliderule/sim/n525es/virtual-n525-es.html25es/virtual-n525-es.html

http://http://www.internettutorials.net/boolean.htmlwww.internettutorials.net/boolean.html