Intro to Computing and Computer Science

  • Introduction to Computing and Computer Science
    • Computers have been around for thousands of years.
    • Computer Science encompasses nearly every facet of our lives.
    • As engineers, we are interested in the computer as a tool for computing, not just the computer itself.
  • Computing Definition
    • Computing is the process of turning data into information.
    • A computer is a tool for computing.
    • This definition omits specifics; the computer doesn't have to be digital or mechanical, static or dynamic.
    • Computation has been around for thousands of years, with humans as the first computers using fingers and toes.
  • The Term "Computer"
    • Before mechanical computers, people were hired to do calculations by hand, especially at the Harvard Observatory in the 19th century.
    • These people, primarily women with math degrees, were called "computers."
    • The term stuck even after mechanical computers were developed.
  • Early Measurement and Tools
    • The cubit was an ancient unit of length based on the forearm, but its length varied between cultures.
    • Accuracy and precision are different:
    • Accuracy: how close a measurement is to the actual value.
    • Precision: how consistent multiple measurements are with each other.
    • Rulers provided precision in measuring linear distances, accurate to within a sixteenth of an inch five thousand years ago.
    • Protractors made it possible to measure distances along an arc.
    • Sundials are dynamic computers that turn the position of the sun into time of day.
  • Chronometry and Early Astronomy
    • Sundials were calendars, too, indicating the day of the year by the length of the shadow.
    • Astronomers used protractors to measure the positions of stars and planets.
    • The Antikythera Mechanism: considered history’s first mechanical computer