Tkamiya:

Likewise, but that was the modern stuff invented when I was in grad school! As an undergrad, it was a required 6:00 AM lower division slide rule class, then as an uperdivision student on to the discrete transistor or wire wrapped core memory, 1024 individual 1/4" transistors for 1 k of memory. A printer was an IBM electric typewriter (not the Selectric type ball - seperate key arms) with a solenoid over each key, and 140 wires running in a bundle from the solenoids to the ANALOG computer - about 20 words per minute data output, later replaced by the 20mA current loop interface. A binary numeric display ranging from 1 - 512 in 10 steps with a miniature light bulb next to each step: look at which bulbs are illuminated, add the numbers next to them for your total, add that total to the electromechanical display (just like a w124 trip odometer!) for the grand total? (I helped upgrade the system to a really hi tech NIXIE tube display). Or a Monroe, Marchant, or Frieden electro-mechanical calculator - enter your complex division problem, punch execute, go get coffee and by the time you are done your answer is coming up? Remember reading the binary (and only) display on an IMSAI or ALTAIR?

Of course, this was after Sputnick went up, Watson and Crick were publishing about the existence of DNA, and 'La Bamba' was a hit. My teachers, parents, and their friends lamented that we didn't appreciate the important things in life, understand history or philosophy, or know how to reason because we let machines do all our thinking, while we all thought we were the most informed generation.

As I used to tell my students, you spend your undergrad degree getting all the answers, your Master's discovering that these answers aren't always right, your PhD studying a small aspect of one of these answers trying to find out why it isn't always true, and after your post-doc, you can get out in life and START learning.

w126:

If you think the undergrads look hot with the bare midriffs now, you should have seen the bra-less, see-through blouses or wide mesh crocheted vests of the 60s. (or the angora sweaters of the 50s, for that matter!) Back when the women had the earings and the guys had the tatoos.

__________________
John

2003 Firemist Red/grey leather SL 500
2015 Palladium Silver/black mbtex GLK 350
1987 Smoke Silver/burgundy mbtex 300E Sportline (SOLD)

Click to see 87 300E