Advent of Computing

Hosted by Sean Haas

Technology History

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Episodes

203

Latest episode

Jul 2026

Language

About the show

Welcome to Advent of Computing, the show that talks about the shocking, intriguing, and all too often relevant history of computing. A lot of little things we take for granted today have rich stories behind their creation, in each episode we will learn how older tech has lead to our modern world.

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60 recent

July 19, 2026Episode 1861 hr 7 min

Episode 186 - MADDIDA

In 1950 Northrup unveiled their MAgnetic Drum DIgital Differential Analyser. The machine is a wild piece of technology; a rendering of an analog computer in digital encoding. But how did we get here? How did a project to guide a missile lead to a mass produced computer? And what does it have to do with suspiciously dry martinis? Selected Sources: https://sci-hub.st/10.1109/MAHC.2003.1179869 - 2003 paper on MADDIDA Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts

July 6, 2026Episode 1851 hr 1 min

Episode 185 - Is EMUL-8ion a Form of Flattery?

EMUL-8 is a fascinating programming language. It's described in just one paper from 1977. It's a mix of features from APL, LISP, ALGOL, and SNOBOL. And, I think, it's a wonderful window into how counterculture and home computing collided.

June 21, 2026Episode 1821 hr 9 min

Episode 184 - What Is A Programming Language?

I mean that both in the specific and the abstract. This episode we are looking at APL, which stands for A Programming Language. APL was developed in the mid 50s, but didn't see a working implementation until 1965. It's a language that truly looks like no others, but has some odd parallels to everything from BASIC to LISP to linear algebra. Learn APL at: tryapl.org https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/APL.htm - A Programming Language

June 14, 202631 min

Dale Biagio - Hello, World!

Dale Biagio(author of Hello, World!) got in touch with me recently. He said he had a book full of short histories of programming languages. Better still, it has sources! How could I resist! In this episode I sit down with Dale to talk about the intersection of technical and human histories. You can find more about Hello, World! at Dale's website: https://helloworldthebook.com/

May 31, 2026Episode 18254 min

Episode 183 - A Digital Gap?

I've been browsing old compur surveys and trying to build up a comprehensive data set. What I've found is a little surprising: between late 1945 and 1949 only 10 new computers entered service. Once we get to the 50s that number explodes. What's going on here? What caused the gap between the first digital machines and the explosion of computers in the 50s? In this episode I try to answer that question by finding out just what was going on during this digital gap. Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts

May 18, 2026Episode 18258 min

Episode 182 - Spinning Memories

What connects IBM, the NSA, the Third Reich, and high fidelity recordings of symphonies? The answer is: magnetic drum memory. Join me as I lose all track of scope and plot to discovery just how and why magnetic drum memory was invented. Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts

May 3, 2026Episode 1811 hr 12 min

Episode 181 - RAYDAC

In 1947 Raytheon signed a contract to make their first computer. It would be their last... at least for many many years. The fruits of this contract was RAYDAC. Early digital computers were odd, to say the least. And RAYDAC distinguishes itself. From zig-zag delay lines to hunting tapes to freon cooling, it truly is a unique machine. Selected Sources: https://ed-thelen.org/McGee_Book-4.2.2.pdf - McGee on his experience programming RAYDAC https://sci-hub.st/10.1109/JRPROC.1948.232626 - A Digital Computer for Scientific Applications https://www.jstor.org/stable/2002859 - The Logical Design of RAYDAC Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts

April 19, 20261 hr 6 min

Episode 180 - You Wouldn't Magnetize a Tape!

The image of a mainframe is almost always accompanied by it's companion: the magnetic tape drive. For decades magnetic tape served as the medium of choice for computing. It was faster than punch cards, and more available than hard drives. But where did it come from? Is it a borrowed technology like the vacuum tube? Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts

April 4, 20261 hr 1 min

Episode 179 - Programming Block by Block

In which we discuss GPSS: the General Purpose Simulation Language. As for as languages go, this is a unique one. It's designed for certain types of simulations. It's code is just a handy way to feed a flowchart into a computer. It's design is closer to an analog computer than it is to a programming language. Yet GPSS is Turing Complete. Step inside and prepare to be... confused! The big source of the show: https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/960118.808382 - The Development of GPSS Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts

March 22, 2026Episode 1781 hr 2 min

Episode 178 - The Programma 101

The Olivetti Programma 101 isn't quite like any other machine. On first glance it looks like a big desktop calculator. Inside, it's a purebred computer... but strange one. It uses twisted spring steel for memory, has no addresses, and it's machine code looks more like a spell than a program. It's existence is due, in no small part, to a man being very mean to GE engineers. Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts