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`Computers themselves were initially designed for artillery fire control, with an explicit intention of killing people.` any citation for this?
by callamdelaney 6y ago
`Computers themselves were initially designed for artillery fire control, with an explicit intention of killing people.` any citation for this?
- jhayward 6y ago"The first fully functioning electronic digital computer to be built in the U.S. was ENIAC, constructed at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, for the Army Ordnance Department, by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly. Completed in 1945, ENIAC was somewhat similar to the earlier Colossus, but considerably larger and more flexible (although far from general-purpose). The primary function for which ENIAC was designed was the calculation of tables used in aiming artillery. ENIAC was not a stored-program computer, and setting it up for a new job involved reconfiguring the machine by means of plugs and switches. For many years, ENIAC was believed to have been the first functioning electronic digital computer, Colossus being unknown to all but a few."[1] [1] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/computing-history/ https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/computing-history/
- heinrich5991 6y ago> to be built in the U.S. What about the global situation? Is it the same?
- thereticent 6y agoThe UK had Colossus a bit earlier, which I believe was the first fully electronic digital computer.
- yesbabyyes 6y agoDon't forget about Konrad Zuse's Z3!
- jhayward 6y agoIn addition to the digital computers in the 2nd half, analog computers for naval guns were commonly fielded in the early parts of the 20th century.[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangekeeper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangekeeper