The ENIAC, the first electronic, digital, general purpose computer, was part of a secret project of the US defense during World War II. Six young women mathematicians planned its software, while programming languages, or even manuals and operating systems, were not available; without knowing the architecture of the new computer, they became familiar with it and they performed complicated calculations of ballistic trajectories, founding this way the modern programming. In 1946, with the execution of the first program, the project became public and had enormous reverberations in the press, but the ENIAC's success was attributed only to the engineers who built it. The history of its programmer girls got lost. For a long time the young women photographed together with the huge machinery full of plugs and wires were confused with models posing next to an electrical appliance! Eventually, in the eighties, an Harvard programmer rebuilt the story, interviewing some of them directly and highlighting the incredible work they were able to carry on.
L’ENIAC, primo computer elettronico, digitale, general purpose faceva parte di un progetto segreto del ministero della difesa degli Stati Uniti durante la seconda guerra mondiale. Sei giovani matematiche ne progettarono tutto il software pur non avendo a disposizione linguaggi di programmazione, né manuali e nemmeno sistemi operativi; senza conoscerne l’architettura, divennero esperte del nuovo computer e programmarono con successo complicati calcoli balistici di traiettorie, fondando la moderna programmazione. Nel 1946, con l’esecuzione del primo programma il progetto divenne pubblico ed ebbe enormi ripercussioni sulla stampa, ma il successo dell’ENIAC fu attribuito solo agli ingegneri che lo costruirono. La storia delle ragazze programmatrici si perse. Per lungo tempo le giovani donne fotografate all’epoca insieme all’enorme marchingegno pieno di cavi e spinotti furono scambiate per modelle ritratte accanto a un elettrodomestico! Fu una programmatrice di Harvard che, negli anni ottanta, ricostruì la storia, intervistando direttamente alcune di loro e mettendo in luce l’incredibile lavoro che furono in grado di portare avanti.
Silvia Benvenuti, Linda Pagli (2016). Refrigerator Ladies. MATEMATICA, CULTURA E SOCIETÀ, 1(1), 51-63.
Refrigerator Ladies
Silvia Benvenuti
;
2016
Abstract
The ENIAC, the first electronic, digital, general purpose computer, was part of a secret project of the US defense during World War II. Six young women mathematicians planned its software, while programming languages, or even manuals and operating systems, were not available; without knowing the architecture of the new computer, they became familiar with it and they performed complicated calculations of ballistic trajectories, founding this way the modern programming. In 1946, with the execution of the first program, the project became public and had enormous reverberations in the press, but the ENIAC's success was attributed only to the engineers who built it. The history of its programmer girls got lost. For a long time the young women photographed together with the huge machinery full of plugs and wires were confused with models posing next to an electrical appliance! Eventually, in the eighties, an Harvard programmer rebuilt the story, interviewing some of them directly and highlighting the incredible work they were able to carry on.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
