Too Much!!! - United Bimmer Community

**RealBmw 02** · 10-06-2005, 01:20 AM

I am taking a computer programing class this quarter which covers basic c language and Unix. I have taken c in HS and have no problem with the programming. However, my Prof. wants us to write a 3 page paper covering the history of computers and programming. I have to research this and all. I think this is way to much to be asking for a programming class.

He also wants us to make a timeline covering the history. So BASICally (pun intended), we have to do the same thing twice. Once with few words and dates involved, and once with a shit load of words and proper English. It's due on Friday which gives me plenty of time, but I just hate writing papers. I want to go play beer pong. Ugh.

/rant mode off

**htp.bmw** · 10-06-2005, 01:23 AM

make the timeline your outline for the paper (maybe that will help)

**delmarco** · 10-06-2005, 01:38 AM

Google Bill Gates: Radio Shack: Tandy: Dragon 32: all those will get you good intel.

Also the first computer was a woman: in 1952 or 53, women who were hired to sit down at a desk 8hrs a day and compute large amounts of "binary coded data" that was related to WW2 were called "Computers".

so that is where the term came from...
Binary numbers the language that computer uses are a complex form of consecutive digits that make up the Binary number system.

The potential power of future computers lies in two things increasing micro-processing speeds (the thinking speed of a computer) to 99% of the speed of light
and the second has to do with "random states of ambiguity" or something known a s Shrodinger's Cat: where the theory states if you seal a cat in a closed opaque box. The cat is both dead and alive at the same time..since the information of the cat's condition is locked inside...this loss of information creates a contradiction to the general law of conservation/nature that sets the foundation for all the natural sciences. Anyway, the state of the cat being dual and absolute (think absolute values when you have l4l =+ 4 = -4 the number 4 is absolute because it has two values like the cat has two states alive and dead)
With computers, because the compute information in a linear and consecutive fashion (due to the binary order of the numbers)...they go crazy when you ask them to compute information on schrodingers cat. Anyway, Quantum computers are the new phase of computer era where these new computers can deal with ambiguity on this very higher level of thought.
whew....That was everything i remembered from Physics 320!

**Dudesky** · 10-06-2005, 06:29 AM

What (or who) was the first computer is debatable. Some will go back 2000yrs, citing the Antikythera mechanism, an analog "computer" used to track movements of the stars. Discovered in a shipwreck off the coast of Greece around 1900, it dates back to 87 BC.

**delmarco** · 10-06-2005, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudesky_E36

What (or who) was the first computer is debatable. Some will go back 2000yrs, citing the Antikythera mechanism, an analog "computer" used to track movements of the stars. Discovered in a shipwreck off the coast of Greece around 1900, it dates back to 87 BC.

that sounds cool. I vaguely remembered that discovery from one of my classes. It's amazing how advanced pagan civilizations were. In fact the only thing that seperated us from Pagan man is religion. Christianity was real good in destroying alot of Pagan culture, technology, and very advanced social behavior (like polygamy...that was pure genius)

this is why i stopped going to church after i learned history and science...religion seemed bullshit!

**RealBmw 02** · 10-06-2005, 01:20 PM

My prof gave us a great website to help out with the timeline. If you would like to look at it,CLICK HERE

I finished the timeline last night, and now I will be starting on the paper. I think a lot of BS will be thrown in. I really don't care to make this a great paper. As long as I get some points for it I will be a happy man.

**Hoppy** · 10-06-2005, 01:35 PM

the first computor was the abacus 3000 years ago
and of course COLOSSUS! the 1940's super computor designed to break the germans best code ( way more advanced than enigma)
also look up The Antikythera Device ( some times Antikythera Mechanism)

heres some general comp info info http://www.maxmon.com/history.htm

**spiff** · 10-06-2005, 01:49 PM

sucks Adam. just tell them that the first computer was an iPod..

**xsperf** · 10-06-2005, 02:05 PM

make the timeline on 1 piece of lined paper, they get really pissed off(and do it in pen so it looks unprofessional)