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dateMore Than a Year Ago
subjectComputers And Society
authorHerbert Bruderer
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Is Bard Better than ChatGPT?
From BLOG@CACM

Is Bard Better than ChatGPT?

A test should show whether Bard is more powerful than ChattGPT or AI-powered Microsoft Bing.

What Does AI-Powered Microsoft Bing Say?
From BLOG@CACM

What Does AI-Powered Microsoft Bing Say?

The answers from the AI-powered Microsoft Bing are often useless.

400 Years of Mechanical Calculating Machines
From BLOG@CACM

400 Years of Mechanical Calculating Machines

Germany is celebrating the 400th birthday of Schickard's "calculating clock."

Did Grace Hopper Create the First Compiler?
From BLOG@CACM

Did Grace Hopper Create the First Compiler?

Heinz Rutishauser (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) is regarded as the developer of automatic programming.

Early Computers in Continental Europe
From BLOG@CACM

Early Computers in Continental Europe

About the Bark (binär automatisk relä-kalkylator, binary automatic relay computer) and Besk (binär elektronisk sekvens kalkylator, binary electronic sequential...

In Pursuit of an International Computation Center in Europe
From BLOG@CACM

In Pursuit of an International Computation Center in Europe

The story of the UNESCO International Computation Center.

Heinz Rutishauser, a Forgotten Swiss Pioneer
From BLOG@CACM

Heinz Rutishauser, a Forgotten Swiss Pioneer

A look at the little-known Rutishauser, who created "automatic programming" and was one of the "authoritative fathers" of the Algol programming language.

Which Were the Most Influential Early Computers?
From BLOG@CACM

Which Were the Most Influential Early Computers?

Considering early machines that had the greatest influence on the development of program-controlled computers.

Was Ada Lovelace Actually the First Programmer?
From BLOG@CACM

Was Ada Lovelace Actually the First Programmer?

Historical arguments for and against.

Turing's Influence on Computer Construction is Overestimated
From BLOG@CACM

Turing's Influence on Computer Construction is Overestimated

How great was Turing's influence on early British automatic computers? Opinions differ considerably.

Forced Labor at Bührle's Arms Factory
From BLOG@CACM

Forced Labor at Bührle's Arms Factory

As has only recently become known, forced labor occurred at a former Bührle textile factory in Toggenburg, Switzerland. This and other Bührle companies played a...

The Mesm: Ukraine Beats Russia
From BLOG@CACM

The Mesm: Ukraine Beats Russia

The Mesm is considered the first stored program digital computer in Continental Europe.

Leonardo Torres Quevedo, a Brilliant but Forgotten Spanish Inventor
From BLOG@CACM

Leonardo Torres Quevedo, a Brilliant but Forgotten Spanish Inventor

Although far ahead of his time, in the German- and English-speaking countries, Torres Quevedo has been largely forgotten.

Promoting Economic Development through Technical Innovation
From BLOG@CACM

Promoting Economic Development through Technical Innovation

A wealth of information about the history of technology and industry.

The Calculating Machine from the Concentration Camp
From BLOG@CACM

The Calculating Machine from the Concentration Camp

The story of Viennese engineer Curt Herzstark and the world's smallest mechanical calculating machine, the Curta.

Original Roman Pocket Calculators are Extremely Rare
From BLOG@CACM

Original Roman Pocket Calculators are Extremely Rare

As far as we know, only three or four original specimens of the Roman hand abacus have survived.

Patent Protection in Europe
From BLOG@CACM

Patent Protection in Europe

Up to the second half of the 19th century —with the exception of the industrial power Great Britain—the protection of inventions was inadequate and strongly disputed...

Computers Were Originally Humans
From BLOG@CACM

Computers Were Originally Humans

Until the middle of the 20th century, computers were in fact humans who performed calculations.

How Does One Multiply with Napier's Rods?
From BLOG@CACM

How Does One Multiply with Napier's Rods?

Napier's multiplication and division rods, deriving from the basic multiplication table, simplify calculations considerably.

How Does One Calculate With A Circular Slide Rule?
From BLOG@CACM

How Does One Calculate With A Circular Slide Rule?

The circular slide rule was widely used until the 1970s.
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