Female Role Models & The Early Days Of Computing

Everyone remembers the first computer they ever used. And Dr. Joyce Wheeler is no exception. But in her case the situation was a bit different. The first computer she used was one of the first computers anyone used. The machine was Edsac, the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator, (pictured) that ran for the first time in 1949 and was built to serve scientists at the University of Cambridge.

Joyce Wheeler was one of those scientists who, at the time, was working on her PhD under the supervision of renowned astronomer Fred Hoyle.

"My work was about the reactions inside stars," she said. "I was particularly interested in how long main sequence stars stay on their main sequence. "I wanted to know how long a star took to fade out," she explained.

The inner workings of the nuclear furnace that keep stars shining is an understandably knotty problem to solve. And, she said, the math’s describing that energetic process were formidable. "For stars, there's a rather nasty set of differential equations that describe their behaviour and composition," she added.

Completing those calculations manually was futile. "It was not possible to be really accurate doing it by hand," she said. "The errors just build up too much."

Enter Edsac, a machine created by Prof Maurice Wilkes to do exactly the kind of calculations Ms. Wheeler (nee Blackler) needed done to complete her advanced degree.

Thinking Time

First though, she had to learn to write the programs that would carry out the calculations.

Dr Wheeler started her PhD work at Cambridge in 1954 knowing about Edsac thanks to an earlier visit during which the machine had been shown off to her and others.

Keen to get on with her research she sat down with the slim booklet that described how to program it and, by working through the exercises in that pioneering programming manual, learned to code.

The little book was called WWG after its three authors Maurice Wilkes, David Wheeler and Stanley Gill.

It was through learning programming that Ms. Blackler got talking to David Wheeler because one of her programs helped to ensure Edsac was working well. They got to know each other, fell in love and married in 1957.

Now, more than 62 years on she is very matter of fact about that time, even though programmers, and especially women programmers, were rare.

Perhaps because of that novel situation, a new discipline and a pioneering machine, the atmosphere at Cambridge in the computer lab was not overwhelmingly masculine. "You could be regarded as a bit of an object, and occasionally it was a bit uncomfortable," she said, "But it was not quite a boys' brigade then in the way that it became later on."

It was an exciting time, she said, because of what the machine could do for her and her work. She took to programming quickly, she said, her strength with math’s helping her quickly master the syntax into which she had to translate those "nasty equations".

"But it was like math’s," she said, "it was one of those things that you knew you should not do for too long.

BBC

Artificial Intelligence: Myths, Facts and Future:   

The World's First Hack: the Telegraph and the Invention of Cyber Privacy:

 

 

« Are Terrorists Winning The Digital Arms Race?
YouTube Adds In-App Messaging »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

CYRIN

CYRIN

CYRIN® Cyber Range. Real Tools, Real Attacks, Real Scenarios. See why leading educational institutions and companies in the U.S. have begun to adopt the CYRIN® system.

Clayden Law

Clayden Law

Clayden Law advise global businesses that buy and sell technology products and services. We are experts in information technology, data privacy and cybersecurity law.

CSI Consulting Services

CSI Consulting Services

Get Advice From The Experts: * Training * Penetration Testing * Data Governance * GDPR Compliance. Connecting you to the best in the business.

Resecurity, Inc.

Resecurity, Inc.

Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence.

BackupVault

BackupVault

BackupVault is a leading provider of automatic cloud backup and critical data protection against ransomware, insider attacks and hackers for businesses and organisations worldwide.

IGEL Technology

IGEL Technology

IGEL Technology is one of the world's leading thin client vendors. Thin clients increase data security and compliance.

Silicom Denmark

Silicom Denmark

Silicom Denmark is a premier developer and supplier of FPGA-based interface cards for cyber-security, telecommss, financial trading and other sectors.

Custodio Technologies

Custodio Technologies

Custodio Technologies was established as a Singaporean R&D Centre of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in order to spearhead R&D activities in the field of cyber early warning.

Meiya Pico Information Co

Meiya Pico Information Co

Meiya Pico is the leading digital forensics and information security products and service provider in China.

LiveVault

LiveVault

LiveVault delivers fully automated, turnkey, backup over the Internet or a private network connection for uninterrupted remote data protection.

Navarino

Navarino

Navarino is the maritime industry’s most advanced communications and connectivity company. We develop advanced technologies and innovative IT solutions including cyber security.

Vanbreda

Vanbreda

Vanbreda Risk & Benefits is the largest independent insurance broker and risk consultant in Belgium and the leading insurance partner in the Benelux.

CertiK

CertiK

CertiK uses rigorous Formal Verification technology to provide hacker-resistant smart contract and blockchain audits, thorough penetration testing, and customized security integrations.

Kratikal

Kratikal

Kratikal provides a complete suite of manual and automated security testing services.

HITRUST Alliance

HITRUST Alliance

HITRUST provides widely-adopted common risk and compliance management frameworks, related assessment and assurance methodologies.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

PricewaterhouseCoopers is a multinational professional services network of firms headquartered in London, United Kingdom and operating in 157 countries.

Quantum Security Solutions (QSec)

Quantum Security Solutions (QSec)

QSec is an innovative information security consultancy based in Ghana. We can provide your organisation with information security products and services that assure against information risk.

TRU Staffing Partners

TRU Staffing Partners

TRU Staffing Partners is an award-winning contract staffing and executive search firm for cybersecurity, eDiscovery and privacy companies and professionals.

Fullstack Academy

Fullstack Academy

A trailblazer in bootcamp education, Fullstack Academy prepares students for fulfilling careers in tech through our NYC campus, online learning, and university partnerships.

Blink Ops

Blink Ops

Blink helps security teams streamline everyday workflows and protect your organization better.

Prescott

Prescott

Prescott acts as your guiding light in the preparation for your CMMC assessment and long after by governing your cybersecurity practice.