The world's first Women's computer experts

They started playing computers 60 years ago. They used to program for the world's first computer and the world's first "hacker". They used to program for the world's first computer ENIAC.

According to the US media daily 5, in the computer age, many elderly people are unwilling to lag behind, but little known, they still live in the United States with several 80-year-old "grandma-level" computer experts: in the Second World War, they helped the military accurately calculate the shell launch trajectory. They used to write programs for the world's first electronic computer and the world's first "hacker ". for more than half a century, people had no idea about this batch of "grandma-level" computer experts. Until recently, their stories first surfaced and are being filmed as an "invisible computer: the story of ENIAC programmer.

Documentary producers (left) and four "grandma-level" top computers, they are Betty (second left), Mary (third left), Catherine (first right ), the front row of Betty sind hobton is now dead.

Grandsons show off and draw legend stories

The 83-Year-Old New Jersey's old lady, Betty bartke, is the grandmother of five grandsons who love to play bridge on the Internet. what is little known, however, is that she is actually the world's first batch of female computer experts who once programmed the world's first computer.

Even friends who are very familiar with Betty do not know this. however, Betty's grandson Alex had long known her grandmother's secret. one day, he showed off to his teacher at school and said his grandmother was the world's first computer pioneer and computer master. at that time, the teacher thought that the child was bragging and criticized him. in order to give her son an honest reputation, Alex's parents personally went to school to explain everything to the teacher.

Help the military calculate the trajectory

The legend of Betty immediately attracted the attention of the historian.

It is reported that it is difficult for Betty to deal with computers. in 1945, at that time, the 20-year-old Betty was a math student at the northwestern Teachers College in Missouri. as World War II draws to a close, the US Army began to launch a top-secret "Aberdeen test ground" at the University of Pennsylvania due to the lack of a male mathematician's trajectory for calculating the ballistic launch, recruit women to become "Human Computer" to calculate trajectory ".

Betty was successfully hired by the US Army and became a "military mathematician" to help the army precisely calculate the bullet tracks of various weapons. Another five female students were recruited along with Betty.

Write programs on the first computer

After World War II, Betty continued to work on computer research for the military. in 1946, she and five other female partners began programming for the world's first electronic computer ENIAC. in 1949, she helped North American Airlines design the logic program for the world's first commercial computer univac I, which was first put into use by the U.S. Census agency in 1951.

It is reported that writing programs for the world's first computer ENIAC is a tough task to test the perseverance, creativity, and endurance of the body, because this machine was too complex at the time, it covers an area of 170 m² square meters, it weighs 30 tons and contains approximately 18000 electronic tubes, 70000 resistors, and at least 3000 switches. in February 1946, the U. S. Army and the University of Pennsylvania's Moore college jointly announced the birth of ENIAC to the world, which kicked off the development and application of modern electronic computers.

The world's first "hacker"

It is reported that Betty is even the world's first "computer hacker", because in early computer program research, she and five other female colleagues also legally "Hacked" one of the world's first computers and converted it into a program storage, thus helping the computer truly enter the digital age.

Betty had three children after marriage. To take care of three children, she was forced to leave the computer research industry a few years later.

Forgotten by American computer history

It is reported that of the six First Women's computer experts, only three are still living in the world, all of which are in their 80 s.

For decades, Betty and her five female colleagues have been ignored and forgotten by American computer history. during the anniversary celebration of the ENIAC computer invention, the earliest pioneers did not even receive an invitation. The only invited woman appeared as the spouse of another computer expert.

Recently, Betty's story is being made into a documentary. "This documentary not only tells their legends, but also has important significance for the current American computer industry," said Kathy Klein, a documentary producer and computer historian, because today's american computer industry is still dominated by men. the deeds of these 'grandparents' computer experts prove that women are no less capable of computer research than men."