Early Programming: Crash Course Computer Science #10

Since Joseph Marie Jacquard’s textile loom in 1801, there has been a demonstrated need to give our machines instructions. In the last few episodes, our instructions were already in our computer’s memory, but we need to talk about how they got there - this is the heart of programming. Today, we’re going to look at the history of programming and the innovations that brought us from punch cards and punch paper tape to plugboards and consoles of switches. These technologies will bring us to the mid 1970s and the start of home computing, but they had limitations, and what was really needed was an easier and more accessible way to write programs - programming languages. Which we’ll get to next week.

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[RaymondHng]

This 9-and-a-half-minute video takes 69, 843, 491 bytes of storage as an MP4 file. If we were to store that file on punch cards using only eight rows (one for each bit), it will take 873, 044 punch cards. Since each card is 0.007 inches thick, the stack of cards will be 6, 111.308 inches high, 509.276 feet tall, or 437 boxes of cards at 2, 000 cards per box. A card reader reading at 1, 000 cards per minute, will take 873.044 minutes or 14.55 hours to read 873, 044 punch cards. But instead of wasting four rows, let's use use all twelve rows of the card. Then we can store 120 bytes per card. This video will take 582, 030 punch cards, stacked 4, 074.21 inches high, 339.5 feet tall, or 292 boxes of cards. That's a lot of trees. And it will take 9.7 hours to read them.

[Lexyvil]

And to think that was only less than 50 years ago. That's crazy.

[TheSmokeySpartacus]

This series is one big "Aaaaah thats how it works" now i get it" "Really is that how its done?"

Super awesome!

[MetaBloxer]

I can visualize people at YouTube hastily swapping plugboards and changing wires when I click a video.

[doombuddha]

These never feel long enough. It's such an enjoyable series.

[andysartz]

This series is simply mind-blowing! It's crazy to see just how much we take for granted nowadays. Looking forward to the next episode!

[StrlessXbow]

"Giggle bite -- seven of the eight siblings Joseph Jacquard had died before becoming adults"

That's some dark humour right there.

[michaelcain]

This series is excellent. I wanted to learn about computers—I’m very behind and 50 yrs old—and this has been a great beginning/history of. Thank you!

[ssaftler]

That bit about toggle switches brings me back about 45 years to my first programming job. I was writing a device driver for a device that we were told would be compatible with the Data General minicomputer we were using, although there was no working driver available. I was flummoxed by the machine hanging every time the driver was invoked. I finally had to single step my driver code on the front panel to figure out where and why the hang occurred. One of a hundred memories I have from my early years (late 1970s into the 1980s) of programming!

[CrazedsHideout]

My great uncle used to work in Chicago running the machines that read punch cards. He told me that they'd keep the windows open while the computer was running year-round in order to cool them off, but they had to close them again before they left to avoid thieves and animals getting in. Then winter came around and one guy forgot to shut one of the windows. Everyone came in the next morning to a sea of broken glass from all the vacuum tubes that exploded from the cold.
Meanwhile, 60-70 years later, I left my computer in my car overnight since I didn't feel like dragging it in through the snow because I was tired. Worst thing that happened was that it was a little slow until it warmed up again the next day.
We have come a long way, friends.

[easymac]

My brain is melting from all I've learned in this series.

[Yosi-Berman]

Can I just say Computer Science is my new favorite Crash Course.
Having 3 CC up at the same time is also amazing BTW.

[HerrUrin]

20 Episodes later:
Humanity builds a giant supercluster called "Deep Thought", asks it the question for life, universe an everything, gets a punchcard back that reads: "101010"

[KrazyKaiser]

Computer Science is Magic. You're a wizard, Carrie!!!

[__donez__]

I'm glad the little window addressed the pronunciation of Neumann, because in physics I've always pronounced it the non-anglicised way.

[ashrafalsharafi]

I'm watching your series while I'm learning to simulate an 8-bit CPU and this course helps me a lot, I don't think I would be able to finish with out it, so inspiring, thanks a lot for this golden playlist

[Supermunch]

This series is delightful. Thank you CrashCourse and Carrie Anne!

[Skelpolu]

The cliffhanger on this one ...
Hope they'll assemble their next episode very soon.

[poojarejoice]

Can't Thank enough for the graphics and pictures as background while Carey explains .. Great Work . Great source for learning

[phlsnst]

One of the best episodes so far! Got so many of my questions answered!