Week 1- Important Milestones of Computer/IT Technology

Grace Hopper and UNIVAC (1950s)

Grace Hopper was a computer scientist who developed the  A-0 system in 1951 and 1952 for the Univac which was an early compiler which functions liked a loader/linker. The impact of her work reduced the amount of learning  a user needed to use and write a computer.

The UNIVAC used magnetic tape rather than punch cards thus speeding up the amount of calculations it could process. From predicting the unexpected landslide of victory of the presidential race of Dwight Eisenhower vs Adlai Stevenson. Univac heralded the age of mass produced computers.

Iphone and impact of Apps (2007~)

When the Iphone was revealed in 2007, it was a revolutionary device because the integration of the touchscreen and the Appstore opened up the opportunity to develop apps not confined to interfacing a device using Qwerty buttons. The big capacitive touch screen meant that beyond making calls, listening to music, looking at images and videos, the iphone was a device where you play games. 

As the hardware of the Iphone improved, users could now take pictures and even edit them on the device itself. The rise of social media and Instagram meant that consumers no longer needed cheap point and shoot cameras. 

The use of NFC technology also meant that making payments no longer require carrying a physical credit or debit card

Quantum Computing and Qubits

In a traditional computer, transistors work as "on off" switches in different XOR configuration under different predefined instructions to process data. However, even with the use of EUV and GAA technologies, there is a physical limit to how much transistors that can be crammed onto a wafer.

In certain scenarios which require huge datasets and multiple variables such as predicting the extent of climate change. Traditional computers are unable to calculate all these inputs at once. Even if possible, the time required will be far too much.

In 1997, the first quantum computer was built but the field only took off when a Canadian Startup D-wave unveiled a 28qubit quantum computer.

Quantum computers work by using the unique property of quantum particles where it can be 1 or 0 at the same time in a "superposition" measured in qubits.

As this is a rapidly growing field with huge opportunities for growth, many Tech companies and governments have been heavily investing to advance quantum computing.

From accelerating drug discovery, creating new metamaterials to creating truly secure cryptography, Quantum Computing has limitless potential in many fields and solving complex problems of today,


References:

https://ethw.org/UNIVAC
https://www.vassar.edu/stories/2017/assets/images/170706-legacy-of-grace-hopper-hopperpdf.pdf
http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/univac/HopperAutoCodingPaper_1955.pdf
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-history-of-the-univac-computer-1992590
https://www.library.upenn.edu/collections/online-exhibits/john-w-mauchly/univac-legacy-eniac

https://www.imore.com/history-iphone-original
https://www.history.com/news/iphone-original-size-invention-steve-jobs

https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/10-ways-apple-iphone-changed-everything/

https://www.vox.com/2017/6/26/15821652/iphone-apple-10-year-anniversary-launch-mobile-stats-smart-phone-steve-jobs

https://www.bairesdev.com/blog/importance-of-quantum-computers/

https://mitrai.com/blogs/how-quantum-computing-can-impact-the-healthcare-industry/

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/quantum-computers-next-frontier-classical-google-ibm-nasa-supremacy/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/07/30/four-ways-quantum-computing-could-change-the-world/



 

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