4 ms·

17 year old Ray Kurzweil on "I've Got a Secret" (1965)

98 points by tfh 16y ago

zackattack 16y ago
He does look very relaxed.
- randlet 16y ago
  I thought the same thing. I couldn't believe how composed and calm he looked!
  - MikeCapone 16y ago
    Maybe he was also an early adopter of beta-blockers?
kqr2 16y ago
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any details on Ray Kurzweil's relay computer. Stumbled upon this nice build though: http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay/ http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay/
shadowsun7 16y ago
More information over at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil#Early_life http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil#Early_life "Later in high school he created a sophisticated pattern-recognition software program that analyzed the works of classical composers, and then synthesized its own songs in similar styles. The capabilities of this invention were so impressive that, in 1965, he was invited to appear on the CBS television program I've Got a Secret, where he performed a piano piece that was composed by a computer he also had built. Later that year, he won first prize in the International Science Fair for the invention, and he was also recognized by the Westinghouse Talent Search and was personally congratulated by President Lyndon B. Johnson during a White House ceremony."
ique 16y ago
You can see the full 23 minute episode here http://www.vbs.tv/watch/motherboard/the-singularity-of-ray-kurzweil http://www.vbs.tv/watch/motherboard/the-singularity-of-ray-k... (the show with the interview, seen at the very end of the YouTube video)
rms 16y ago
The second most surreal thing that happened to me at the SIAI house (see http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1362364 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1362364) was finding the stash of Ray Kurzweil drink mix in the pantry. The back of the package said that the drink is best enjoyed when made with the official Ray & Terry's™ shaker cup. We didn't have a shaker cup and having the official shaker cup would probably not have been able to make Ray Kurzweil drink more palatable. The first person who emails me to say that they applied for the SIAI Visiting Fellows program gets a Ray Kurzweil drink mix mailed to them by me for free, anywhere in the world.
- khafra 16y ago
  Was the recipe for the Ray Kurzweil drink made by a computer?
rbanffy 16y ago
I love the way he controls the typewriter.
Maro 16y ago
Having lived in three parts of the world (USA, Germany, Hungary, being hungarian), let me tell you, this is one of the things that make America a great place today: embracing innovation, entrepeneurship and taking risks. In many countries, if you tell your parents and friends you're going to quit your job and start a company, they'll tell you you're crazy. That's what they told me. The USA is much more embracing towards entrepeneurial attitudes.
- sown 16y ago
  To be fair, they'll say the same thing in most parts of the US but they will be more supportive. :)

98 points by tfh 16y ago

zackattack 16y ago

He does look very relaxed.

randlet 16y ago
I thought the same thing. I couldn't believe how composed and calm he looked!
- MikeCapone 16y ago
  Maybe he was also an early adopter of beta-blockers?

kqr2 16y ago

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any details on Ray Kurzweil's relay computer. Stumbled upon this nice build though: http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay/ http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay/

shadowsun7 16y ago

More information over at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil#Early_life http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil#Early_life "Later in high school he created a sophisticated pattern-recognition software program that analyzed the works of classical composers, and then synthesized its own songs in similar styles. The capabilities of this invention were so impressive that, in 1965, he was invited to appear on the CBS television program I've Got a Secret, where he performed a piano piece that was composed by a computer he also had built. Later that year, he won first prize in the International Science Fair for the invention, and he was also recognized by the Westinghouse Talent Search and was personally congratulated by President Lyndon B. Johnson during a White House ceremony."

ique 16y ago

You can see the full 23 minute episode here http://www.vbs.tv/watch/motherboard/the-singularity-of-ray-kurzweil http://www.vbs.tv/watch/motherboard/the-singularity-of-ray-k... (the show with the interview, seen at the very end of the YouTube video)

rms 16y ago

The second most surreal thing that happened to me at the SIAI house (see http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1362364 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1362364) was finding the stash of Ray Kurzweil drink mix in the pantry. The back of the package said that the drink is best enjoyed when made with the official Ray & Terry's™ shaker cup. We didn't have a shaker cup and having the official shaker cup would probably not have been able to make Ray Kurzweil drink more palatable. The first person who emails me to say that they applied for the SIAI Visiting Fellows program gets a Ray Kurzweil drink mix mailed to them by me for free, anywhere in the world.

khafra 16y ago
Was the recipe for the Ray Kurzweil drink made by a computer?

rbanffy 16y ago

I love the way he controls the typewriter.

Maro 16y ago

Having lived in three parts of the world (USA, Germany, Hungary, being hungarian), let me tell you, this is one of the things that make America a great place today: embracing innovation, entrepeneurship and taking risks. In many countries, if you tell your parents and friends you're going to quit your job and start a company, they'll tell you you're crazy. That's what they told me. The USA is much more embracing towards entrepeneurial attitudes.

sown 16y ago
To be fair, they'll say the same thing in most parts of the US but they will be more supportive. :)