Advent of Computing

Cybernetics is broadly defined as the study of control and communications, with a special emphasis on feedback-based systems. Put another way: cybernetics is the study of the flow of data. Predating computer science by decades, cybernetics offers up an interesting view of computing. But of course, there's a lot more to the picture than just computers. This episode we are looking at Project Cybersyn, an attempt to automate Chile's economy via cybernetics. To talk about this specific case we are going to dive deep into the history of cybernetics itself. Selected Sources: https://sci-hub.se/10.1086/286788 - Behavior, Purpose, and Teleology https://sci-hub.se/10.1057/jors.1984.2 - The Viable System Model, by Beer https://web.archive.org/web/20181222110043/http://ada.evergreen.edu/~arunc/texts/cybernetics/Platform/platform.pdf - Beer on Cybersyn https://web.archive.org/web/20200619033457/https://homes.luddy.indiana.edu/edenm/EdenMedinaJLASAugust2006.pdf - Designing Freedom, Regulating a Nation, by Eden Medina

Discover the elegance of LISP and why it's considered the mother tongue of artificial intelligence. Explore its unique features, like first-class functions, that set it apart from other languages. Delve into the pivotal Dartmouth Workshop where AI was born and the challenges John McCarthy faced in its creation. Learn about LISP's evolution from early list processing languages to its impact on computability and the development of AI. The journey reveals how LISP shaped the thinking machines of today.

Dive into the intriguing world of artificial intelligence and its historical roots. Discover the quirks of Information Processing Language, a precursor to LISP, and its significance in bridging human reasoning with machine logic. Uncover the origins of linked lists and how they revolutionized decision-making in computing. The podcast also explores chess-playing machines and a groundbreaking program capable of solving logic proofs, highlighting the blend of AI and symbolic logic in early technology.

Viatron's System 21 was the computer of the 1970s! ...At least that's what their marketing claimed. Started in 1967 Viatron was set to be one of the most exciting companies of the coming decade. They were offering a desktop sized computing machine, the System 21, that promised to break IBM's domination of the office. The System 21's heart, the so-called "micro-processor", was slated to be built from cutting edge LSI chips. It could automate data processing, replace bulky IBM hardware, and do away with the punch card. And this marvel could be yours for just $39 a month. Sounds like a good deal, right? Maybe too good. According to some Viatron was strait up stock fraud. Selected sources: http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/viatron/ViatronSystem21Brochure.pdf - 1969 Viatron Brochure http://vintagecomputer.ca/viatron-system-21-model-2111-restoration/ - The beast itself https://archive.org/details/CIA-RDP80-01794R000100200043-2/mode/2up - CIA review of System 21

A lively walk through how a tiny, low-cost CPU reshaped home computing. Stories of corporate clashes, talent migration, and recession-driven opportunity. Design tradeoffs that trimmed instructions, registers, and silicon to boost yields. Early sales hustle, legal battles, and the KIM-1’s role in getting developers hooked.

They dig into the real development story of NLS, from tiny CDC hardware limits to later SDS-940 upgrades. Hear about custom workstations with an early mouse and chorded input, novel timesharing and CCTV remote-display hacks, and layered meta-languages used to build and bootstrap the system itself. The episode focuses on NLS’s structure, linking model, and how ARC balanced portability with steep complexity.

A deep dive into the origins of NLS, tracing Doug Engelbart’s shift from punch cards to computing. Exploration of edge‑notched cards as a low‑tech information system and how they inspired linking and personal mimex ideas. Discussion of Vannevar Bush’s influence, the limits of sequential access storage, and the H‑L‑A‑M‑T framework for augmenting human intellect.

Make sure you have some extra batteries for your lamp, this episode we are delving into the depths of Zork. Written in 1977 Zork would quickly become the epitome of text based adventures, pushing aside all competitors. A lot of this comes down to it's simple gameplay, and the simple fact that Zork is fun to play. But lurking deeper into the game is a hidden treasure. Ya see, the other huge part of Zork's success was it's portability. That was made possible thanks to some sick programming tricks, and a virtual computer called the Z-machine. Selected Sources: https://sci-hub.se/10.1109/MC.1979.1658697 - Early article from IEEE https://web.archive.org/web/20060427000213/http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Infocom/Articles/NZT/zorkhist.html - Tim Anderson's Zork history https://archive.org/details/a2woz_Zork_I_1981_Infocom_r75 - Go play Zork

This episode I face my greatest fears: computer bugs. We are going to dive into the origin of the term, and examine the origins of debugging. The simple fact is that as soon as computers hit the scene we start finding bugs. Debugging follows very soon after. That part's not too surprising, it's the specifics that get interesting. Modern debugging methods we still use today were first developed on ENIAC, a machine that's anything but modern.

It's Spook Month on Advent of Computing! Every October we cover the more spooky, scary, and frustrating side of computers. To kick off this year we are looking at viruses again, this time with a special eye to the first infections for IBM PCs and compatible systems. Besides the technical changes, this drops us into an interesting transitionary period. Up to this point viruses had been something of an in-joke amongst hackers and computer nerds, but with the creation of viruses like Brain and VirDem we see them start to enter public awareness. Selected Sources: https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/358198.358210 - Reflections on Trusting Trust http://web.archive.org/web/20060427081139/http://www.brain.net.pk/aboutus.htm - Brain Computing on Brain Virus https://archive.org/details/computervirusesh0000burg - Computer Viruses: A High-Tech Disease