Codes and Coding
Codes from 60 A.D to Today
Screen time has become a ubiquitous part of our lives, so much so that it’s hard to believe that it wasn’t until around the 80s that having a computer in the house was the norm.
Every website, app and streaming site we use daily is the result of coding. The act of coding may be synonymous with computers nowadays, but it is a concept that dates back to 60 A.D.
Don’t believe us? We can’t blame you, but check out the timeline below that proves it
60 AD: Mr. Heron of Alexandria, Greece, was a mathematician and engineer who got the wheels turning with coding with his many inventions and contraptions. One machine was a somewhat programmable puppet mechanism. This machine had puppets on strings, and if you pulled a specific string, it caused a specific action. These strings could be rewired and manipulated to create different actions. It sparked the idea of how a machine could be re-programmed without having to completely pull it apart.
The mid-1700s: Not much coding-wise was done until Joseph Marie Jacquard came along, who decided to invent what is now known as the “Jacquard loom”. The “Jacquard loom” is a big machine that wove carpets, blankets and rugs. The whole mechanism was code-like in that it was set to punch material through the system according to the pattern it was set to (ring any bells fellow programmers?).
The 1830s: Ada Lovelace built the first computer program. She did so when translating a paper about the Analytical Engine (work that was done by her friend Charles Babbage- aka the father of the computer). She published a paper in 1843 predicting the evolution of computer software, artificial intelligence and computer music.
Fun Fact: Ada Lovelace is the daughter of famous poet Lord Byron.
The 1940s: Nearing the end of World War II, a man named Tommy Flowers was working in a Postal Office as an engineer. He figured out a unique system in which telegraph relays were hooked up to a programmable computer (we use the term ‘computer’ loosely here- there were wires all over the place) and the telegraphs would move via an electromagnetic current.
The 1950s: This was a boom in programming languages. There were actual programming jobs available! The most prominent programming language created at this time was shortcode. This was a turning point in which the language utilized mathematic expressions and had predefined variables.
Today: Coding is an expansive industry that covers countless sectors, and it continues to grow! Whether you're coding for fun through games and activities, or tinkering with it to make an innovative app or if you build and design code for work; coding is a prominent part of our lives.
Here are some fun facts about coding:
-The youngest coder is six-years-old. His name is Muhammad Hamza Shahzad, and he is an official Microsoft Professional.
-A teenager named Avi Schiffmann coded one of the top COVID apps. The app is called ‘ncovid2019live’.
-The coding industry is predicted to grow faster than others in the upcoming years.
-Coding can help facilitate cognitive skills such as analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, creativity and leadership skills.
-Learning to code is becoming to be akin to learning how to write. It has even been incorporated into the core curriculum in schools.
So, whether you’re interested in getting involved in this exciting field (we have coding programs available) or if you want to be aware of how the virtual world arrives on your screen, we hope this post answered some questions!
Happy Coding!
- FunTech
