| Date | Topic, Readings, and Deadlines |
|---|---|
| Mon., Sept. 26 | What is computing? What history do we care about? Scribe: Jenelle Videos: Computer History in 90 Seconds; Abacus Action |
| Wed., Sept. 28 | Looms and Machines Read: Jacquard’s Web, Ch. 4 (p. 35-38), Ch. 5 (p. 45-48), and Ch. 6 (p. 65-79) Scribe: Manali Video: Jacquard’s Loom |
| Mon., Oct. 3 | Babbage and his Engines Read: Jacquard’s Web, Ch. 7 (p. 81-98); Babbage’s Autobiography (handout, p. 107-111) Optional: Jacquard’s Web, Ch. 8 (p. 99-117) Due: Assignment 1 Scribe: Austin S. Video: Babbage’s Engines For fun: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling |
| Wed., Oct. 5 | Lovelace, the First Programmer Read: Jacquard’s Web, Ch. 9 (119-148), Appendix 2 (p. 270-276) Scribe: Manali For fun: Listen to Episode 102: Ada Byron |
| Fri., Oct. 7 | Add/drop deadline (by web) Ada Lovelace Day |
| Mon., Oct. 10 | Hollerith and the Census Read: Jacquard’s Web, Ch. 10-11 (149-177); “The Electrical Tabulating Machine” by Hollerith (1894) Scribe: Jenelle Pictures: from The Computer History Museum and Columbia University For fun: Listen to Episode 401: IBM and the 1890 Census, Episode 879: Babbage and Tennyson |
| Wed., Oct. 12 | Codes & Ciphers Read: The Code Book, by Simon Singh (handout) Scribe: Nathan Going further: Babbage and deciphering (Ch. XVIII of “Passages from the Life of a Philosopher”); Breaking the Code (movie) For fun: Build your own Enigma machine; Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson; Enigma (movie); Episode 2666: Alan Turing |
| Mon., Oct. 17 | Turing and Computation Read: “On Computable Numbers” by Alan Turing (sec. 1,2,3,5,6,8); Excerpt from “The Diamond Age” by Neal Stephenson (handout); “On Alan Turing and the Origins of Digital Computers” by Brian Randell Due: Assignment 2 Scribe: Austin V. Video: Excerpt from Breaking the Code For fun: Episode 2660: Inside the Machine |
| Wed., Oct. 19 | von Neumann and Electronic Machines Loebner Prize Competition Read: Johnny Builds Bombs and Johnny Builds Brains, by Howard Rheingold; Jacquard’s Web, Ch. 12-13 Due: Computers & History paper selection Scribe: Nick Going further: Birth of the Computer; “Von Neumann’s First Computer Program” by Donald Knuth |
| Mon., Oct. 24 | Hopper and Compilers Read: Jacquard’s Web, Ch. 14-16; “The Education of a Computer” by Grace Hopper; “Improbable Warriors” by Kathleen Williams (p. 108-118 only) Scribe: Sarah Video: Grace Hopper on 60 Minutes, 1982 Going further: “Babbage and Aiken” by I. Bernard Cohen |
| Wed., Oct. 26 | Human Computers, Commercial Computers Read: “When Computers were Human” by Paul Ceruzzi; “Programming with Punched Cards” by Dale Fisk (p. 1-8) Scribe: John Videos: Top Secret Rosies (ENIAC) and ENIAC operators in action; UNIVAC advertisement Going further: “Nov. 4, 1952: Univac Gets Election Right, But CBS Balks”; “The Age of Female Computers”, by David Skinner For fun: Online card puncher |
| Mon., Oct. 31 | The early Internet and Humans vs. Machines Due: Assignment 3 Read: “The Past and Future History of the Internet” by Barry M. Leiner et al.; “The Chess Master and the Computer” by Garry Kasparov; “My Puny Human Brain” by Ken Jennings Scribe: Kevin Going further: UCLA’s log books showing the first ARPANET transmissions; Where Human Workers Can Still Beat Robots (at Least for Now); Desk Set (movie) |
| Wed., Nov. 2 | Artificial Intelligence Read: Introduction to The Turing Test by Stuart M. Shieber, “Mind vs. Machine” by Brian Christian Scribe: Mai Going further: “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” by Alan Turing |
| Mon., Nov. 7 | More AI, and Hardware Advances Read: “Machine of the Year: The Computer Moves In” by Otto Friedrich; “Kilby, Noyce, and the Integrated Circuit” by Bob Stoffels Scribe: Cody Going further: The First PC; “Engadget Primed: SSDs and You” by Jesse Hicks For fun: Episode 1059: Inventing the Computer |
| Wed., Nov. 9 | Guest lecture: Jon Brewster from Hewlett-Packard Due: Computers & History paper draft Read: None! Scribe: Austin S. |
| Mon., Nov. 14 | Software Due: Assignment 4 Read: “Machine of the Year: The Computer Moves In” by Otto Friedrich; “A Brief History of Hackerdom” by Eric Raymond Scribe: Sarah |
| Wed., Nov. 16 | Property Read: “Chinese Gamer Sentenced to Life” by BBC News; “Twitter’s Secret Handshake” by Ashley Parker Scribe: Mai |
| Mon., Nov. 21 | Communication and Attention Read: “Technology and Human Vulnerability” by Sherry Turkle; “Can You Hear Me Now?” by Sherry Turkle Scribe: Nick Going further: Death By PowerPoint For fun: Idoru by William Gibson |
| Wed., Nov. 23 | Identity and Privacy Due: Assignment 5 Read: “Tinysex and Gender Trouble” by Sherry Turkle; “How Privacy Vanishes Online” by Steve Lohr; “Is Online Privacy a Generational Issue?” by Heather West Scribe: Andrew |
| Mon, Nov. 28 | Space Exploration Computers & History Presentations Scribe: Cody Read: None Going further: “The Mars Rover Spirit FLASH Anomaly” by Glenn Reeves and Tracy Neilson |
| Wed., Nov. 30 | Student Presentations Computers & History Presentations Scribe: Andrew Read: None |
| Tue., Dec. 6 | Due: Computers & History final paper |
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