When I was little, my grandfather worked at NSA in Fort Meade, Maryland. One of my earliest memories is of him taking me, age five, in to see the Cray 1. I reme

When I was little, my grandfather worked at NSA in Fort Meade, Maryland. One of my earliest memories is of him taking me, age five, in to see the Cray 1. I remember crawling around on the bench, but of course, that memory could be flawed. Who knows if they would have really let a five year old sit on the fastest supercomputer in the world. Still, that's how I remember it, so I'll stick with my memory. It was the first computer I had ever seen, and it didn't disappoint. In 1976, the idea of getting to see a computer at all was the ultimate marvel to a little kid whose granddad had already started reading Asimov and Heinlein to him at night. The Cray fit every imagination I had about what a computer should be—sleek, huge, and like nothing I'd ever seen. I don't remember anything else about the visit. I don't remember what else was in the room, or what I thought all the people might be doing. All I remember is that it was the first spark of fascination that led me to seek out any chance I could get to be around any computer. Seeing that same machine reproduced in miniature, right down to the bench, warms my heart. I wish my grandfather were around to make it with me. I can't wait to give this a try.