History of programming.

So I took on the task of writing a paper about the history behind modern computer science and computing. My question to you all is what kind of fun facts or knowledge can you all share that i may add in my paper. I really want to have some cool info because I'm trying to make the paper appeal to those who don't really know much about computer science. If at all possible can you share what sources your getting your information from and if its just your prior knowledge then i will just site you :), in which case some kind of name that i could use to site would be helpful.
Hi, my name is Benjamin Nathanael Bowen.

This is a list of things I want to see:

Part 1 - The Heart of Computers

Section 1 - The Root

1. Discuss people like Alan Turing (and maybe Kurt Godel). Show how they have affected the mathematics involved in computer science.
2. Give a brief, interesting history on the philosophy of electromagnetism and discuss how several inventions (which computer hardware is based on) brought computers to the world. I think it would be nice to talk about people such as Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin, and go back even to talking about ancient theories of lightning. This can easily be done in just a paragraph or two.
3. Conclude this with a nice part about the legacy of science, and how the scientific revolution began and continues as an evolution of knowledge.

Section 2 - The Core

1. Tell the reader about how decipher machines etc. were used in World War II and were the first electronic computing devices (I think). Claude Shannon is a notable person for this subject.
2. Talk about the things that transformed the electronics industry. I can't remember that much about this, but there's stuff such as Texas Instruments and electronic IC's that you should brief the reader about, as a short transition. There's actually a lot more information to be said here. What about that computer which predicted a US presidential election's poll results?
3. Add notice about the early desktop computers from IBM and Apple. This is really where we translate into programming: UNIX and DOS.
4. This might be a good section to mention Moore 's law.

Part 2 - The Soul of the Future?
... Work in progress ...

When you finish your paper, please tell me how I can find it!
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well Ben what i have talked about so far is the abacus, Stonehenge, how computers where originally people who did calculations for a living who were usually women) i have mentioned Alan Turing but have not actually talked about him yet but i will get there, and i talk a good bit about John Backus and how his development of FORTRAN revolutionized programming while also explaining what a programming language is in laymen terms and discussing what caused him to want to make a high level language in the first place. things on the list to be included are Alan Turing, Difference engines, and Bletchley Park to provide an example of how computer science isn't only used for computer programs to play games and work out of the house.

As for how you can find it im not sure haha. Im not getting it published it is however for my college research paper.
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Well, if this is a homework project, screw it.
You missed out Babbage... he's kind of important.
closed account (3hM2Nwbp)
Wasn't it the aliens that gave us the concept of micro-circuitry in the first place?

On a more serious note, you might want to discuss how programming concepts are inter-related to other fields such as business design.
Babbage and Ada? Okay.
Ada Lovelace ? I believe the first programmer on this Earth is a lady isn't it ? Although she did not physically write down the first program, her notes from about Babbage engine is basically in a way a "program". Such a pity she died around age 36. I guess life expectancy isn't very long during those times.
closed account (z05DSL3A)
George Boole (2 November 1815 – 8 December 1864) was an English mathematician, philosopher, and the inventor of Boolean logic.
So 49 years is considered a long life span in those times? The boolean logic is very applicable in current software programs. But I don't think he strike it rich for his invention isn't it? I guess ppl of those times think of serving the world and not for purely monetary gains. For their noble effort they deserve my greatest respect. I guess that is why Nobel Prize is born? :P
I guess that is why Nobel Prize is born? :P


That sentence deserves a born of a prize nobel.
Not everyone's first language is English, try to be more understanding.
Oh, quite honestly... I wasn't trying to be offensive, I was just giving him a little tease.
Don't forget about:

John Von Neumann
John Vincent Atanasoff
And of course later on, Kernighan, Ritchie, and the rest of Bell Labs invented C, from which evolved C++, Perl, and others.
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