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Ask HN: Anything Like Carl Sagan's Cosmos for Computer Science?

32 points by leksak 10y ago

Is there anything like Carl Sagan's Cosmos that talks about the history of computing in an accessible way? Pondering Christmas gifts for my niece.

thisisananth 10y ago
I would recommend the book - Innovators by Walter Issacson. It contains the history for computing from Charles Babbage to the invention of the Internet by Tim Berners Lee. Though it has some factual errors, it was a very interesting book. https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Hackers-Geniuses-Created-Revolution/dp/1476708703 https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Hackers-Geniuses-Created-R...
ljw1001 10y ago
Neither of these is exactly what you asked for, but both are awesome in their own way, and both are (narrow and somewhat dated) histories: Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy. The Pulitzer Prize Winning) The Soul of a New Machine, by Tracy Kidder. The second one literally changed my life in leading me to computers. Links: https://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Heroes-Computer-Revolution-Anniversary/dp/1449388396 https://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Heroes-Computer-Revolution-An... https://www.amazon.com/Soul-New-Machine-Tracy-Kidder/dp/0316491977/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1479649562&sr=1-1&keywords=the+soul+of+a+new+machine https://www.amazon.com/Soul-New-Machine-Tracy-Kidder/dp/0316...
- cellularmitosis 10y ago
  Brian Cantrill also enthusiastically recommended Soul of a New Machine.
- jambulance 10y ago
  Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy absolutely changed my life when I found it as a young boy in the local library. Possibly the most read book on my bookshelf!
mezod 10y ago
I loved A History of Modern Computing by Paul Ceruzzi https://www.amazon.com/History-Modern-Computing/dp/0262532034 https://www.amazon.com/History-Modern-Computing/dp/026253203...
boatsock 10y ago
Code by Charles Petzold would be the best in my opinion. link: https://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Software/dp/0735611319 https://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Softw...
- napsterbr 10y ago
  +1. Great gift for non-technical friends/relatives. It does get at a technical depth of computer organization and stuff, but it has a nice gradual intro. But if op focus is computer science history, there may be better options (don't know which ones, and Code does share some history detail, but not that much. It should get your niece interested in computer science though).
westurner 10y ago
Computer #History: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer Outline of Computer Engineering #History of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_computer_engineering https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_computer_engineerin... History of Computer Science: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_computer_science https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_computer_science Outline of Computer Science: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_computer_science https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_computer_science History of the Internet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet History of the World Wide Web: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_World_Wide_Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_World_Wide_Web
- westurner 10y ago
  ... maybe a bit OT; but, interestingly, IDK if any of these include a history section: #K12CSFramework (Practices, Concepts): https://k12cs.org https://k12cs.org - "Impacts of Computing" (Culture; Social Interactions; Safety, Law, and Ethics): https://k12cs.org/framework-statements-by-progression/#jump-impacts-computing https://k12cs.org/framework-statements-by-progression/#jump-... "Competencies and Tasks on the Path to Human-Level AI" (Perception, Actuation, Memory, Learning, Reasoning, Planning, Attention, Motivation, Emotion, Modeling Self and Other, Social Interaction, Communication, Quantitative, Building/Creation): http://wiki.opencog.org/w/CogPrime_Overview#Competencies_and_Tasks_on_the_Path_to_Human-Level_AI http://wiki.opencog.org/w/CogPrime_Overview#Competencies_and... Code.org (#HourOfCode): https://code.org/learn https://code.org/learn
- brudgers 10y ago
  Not really in keeping with the idea of a gift suitable for a niece.
  - westurner 10y ago
    No, but particulary more comprehensive and informative than any one video. These links (to #OER) would be useful for anyone intending to try and replicate the form and style of the "Cosmos" video series with Computer Science content.
Daniel_Marcos 10y ago
I absolutely love this book. It's very accessible, though perhaps not for younger kids. [But How Do It Know?] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F25LEVC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F25LEVC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?...)
charlesism 10y ago
Although you're probably looking for something a bit more technical, somebody really should mention: "Triumph of the Nerds: How the Personal Computer Changed the World" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX5g0kidk3Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX5g0kidk3Y - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiffgiRAYUI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiffgiRAYUI - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGTPdLxf7FQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGTPdLxf7FQ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yamGfoFUXsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yamGfoFUXsA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dK-gzpjIVI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dK-gzpjIVI
oldbuzzard 10y ago
Gleick's "The Information" and Dyson's "Turing's Cathedral" would be 2 other good pop sci books on the origins of CS. https://www.amazon.com/Information-History-Theory-Flood/dp/1400096235 https://www.amazon.com/Information-History-Theory-Flood/dp/1... https://www.amazon.com/Turings-Cathedral-Origins-Digital-Universe/dp/1400075998 https://www.amazon.com/Turings-Cathedral-Origins-Digital-Uni...
flukus 10y ago
There's a PBS (I think) series called "the machine that changed the world". This is the best history of computing I've seen yet.
- stevenalowe 10y ago
  +1 http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-machine-that-changed-the-world/ http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-machine-that-changed-the-...
ivan_ah 10y ago
This is an article is very interesting (very very long) https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-paul-ford-what-is-code/ https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-paul-ford-what-is-co...
stiff 10y ago
The New Turing Omnibus: https://www.amazon.com/New-Turing-Omnibus-Sixty-Six-Excursions/dp/0805071660 https://www.amazon.com/New-Turing-Omnibus-Sixty-Six-Excursio... Algorithmics: The Spirit of Computing: https://www.amazon.com/Algorithmics-Spirit-Computing-David-Harel/dp/0321117840/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1479724948&sr=1-1&keywords=david+harel https://www.amazon.com/Algorithmics-Spirit-Computing-David-H...
- happy-go-lucky 10y ago
  +1 for The New Turing Omnibus

32 points by leksak 10y ago

Is there anything like Carl Sagan's Cosmos that talks about the history of computing in an accessible way? Pondering Christmas gifts for my niece.

thisisananth 10y ago

I would recommend the book - Innovators by Walter Issacson. It contains the history for computing from Charles Babbage to the invention of the Internet by Tim Berners Lee. Though it has some factual errors, it was a very interesting book. https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Hackers-Geniuses-Created-Revolution/dp/1476708703 https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Hackers-Geniuses-Created-R...

ljw1001 10y ago

Neither of these is exactly what you asked for, but both are awesome in their own way, and both are (narrow and somewhat dated) histories: Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy. The Pulitzer Prize Winning) The Soul of a New Machine, by Tracy Kidder. The second one literally changed my life in leading me to computers. Links: https://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Heroes-Computer-Revolution-Anniversary/dp/1449388396 https://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Heroes-Computer-Revolution-An... https://www.amazon.com/Soul-New-Machine-Tracy-Kidder/dp/0316491977/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1479649562&sr=1-1&keywords=the+soul+of+a+new+machine https://www.amazon.com/Soul-New-Machine-Tracy-Kidder/dp/0316...

cellularmitosis 10y ago
Brian Cantrill also enthusiastically recommended Soul of a New Machine.
jambulance 10y ago
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy absolutely changed my life when I found it as a young boy in the local library. Possibly the most read book on my bookshelf!

mezod 10y ago

I loved A History of Modern Computing by Paul Ceruzzi https://www.amazon.com/History-Modern-Computing/dp/0262532034 https://www.amazon.com/History-Modern-Computing/dp/026253203...

boatsock 10y ago

Code by Charles Petzold would be the best in my opinion. link: https://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Software/dp/0735611319 https://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Softw...

napsterbr 10y ago
+1. Great gift for non-technical friends/relatives. It does get at a technical depth of computer organization and stuff, but it has a nice gradual intro. But if op focus is computer science history, there may be better options (don't know which ones, and Code does share some history detail, but not that much. It should get your niece interested in computer science though).

westurner 10y ago

Computer #History: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer Outline of Computer Engineering #History of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_computer_engineering https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_computer_engineerin... History of Computer Science: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_computer_science https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_computer_science Outline of Computer Science: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_computer_science https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_computer_science History of the Internet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet History of the World Wide Web: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_World_Wide_Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_World_Wide_Web

westurner 10y ago
... maybe a bit OT; but, interestingly, IDK if any of these include a history section: #K12CSFramework (Practices, Concepts): https://k12cs.org https://k12cs.org - "Impacts of Computing" (Culture; Social Interactions; Safety, Law, and Ethics): https://k12cs.org/framework-statements-by-progression/#jump-impacts-computing https://k12cs.org/framework-statements-by-progression/#jump-... "Competencies and Tasks on the Path to Human-Level AI" (Perception, Actuation, Memory, Learning, Reasoning, Planning, Attention, Motivation, Emotion, Modeling Self and Other, Social Interaction, Communication, Quantitative, Building/Creation): http://wiki.opencog.org/w/CogPrime_Overview#Competencies_and_Tasks_on_the_Path_to_Human-Level_AI http://wiki.opencog.org/w/CogPrime_Overview#Competencies_and... Code.org (#HourOfCode): https://code.org/learn https://code.org/learn
brudgers 10y ago
Not really in keeping with the idea of a gift suitable for a niece.
- westurner 10y ago
  No, but particulary more comprehensive and informative than any one video. These links (to #OER) would be useful for anyone intending to try and replicate the form and style of the "Cosmos" video series with Computer Science content.

Daniel_Marcos 10y ago

I absolutely love this book. It's very accessible, though perhaps not for younger kids. [But How Do It Know?] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F25LEVC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F25LEVC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?...)

charlesism 10y ago

Although you're probably looking for something a bit more technical, somebody really should mention: "Triumph of the Nerds: How the Personal Computer Changed the World" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX5g0kidk3Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX5g0kidk3Y - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiffgiRAYUI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiffgiRAYUI - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGTPdLxf7FQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGTPdLxf7FQ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yamGfoFUXsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yamGfoFUXsA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dK-gzpjIVI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dK-gzpjIVI

oldbuzzard 10y ago

Gleick's "The Information" and Dyson's "Turing's Cathedral" would be 2 other good pop sci books on the origins of CS. https://www.amazon.com/Information-History-Theory-Flood/dp/1400096235 https://www.amazon.com/Information-History-Theory-Flood/dp/1... https://www.amazon.com/Turings-Cathedral-Origins-Digital-Universe/dp/1400075998 https://www.amazon.com/Turings-Cathedral-Origins-Digital-Uni...

flukus 10y ago

There's a PBS (I think) series called "the machine that changed the world". This is the best history of computing I've seen yet.

stevenalowe 10y ago
+1 http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-machine-that-changed-the-world/ http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-machine-that-changed-the-...

ivan_ah 10y ago

This is an article is very interesting (very very long) https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-paul-ford-what-is-code/ https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-paul-ford-what-is-co...

stiff 10y ago

The New Turing Omnibus: https://www.amazon.com/New-Turing-Omnibus-Sixty-Six-Excursions/dp/0805071660 https://www.amazon.com/New-Turing-Omnibus-Sixty-Six-Excursio... Algorithmics: The Spirit of Computing: https://www.amazon.com/Algorithmics-Spirit-Computing-David-Harel/dp/0321117840/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1479724948&sr=1-1&keywords=david+harel https://www.amazon.com/Algorithmics-Spirit-Computing-David-H...

happy-go-lucky 10y ago
+1 for The New Turing Omnibus