h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Grace Hopper - Mathematician and Computer Scientist - A87939526
Author: SashaQ - happysad - U9936370

Here is an Entry about a pioneer of Computer Science, who built on the legacy of Ada Lovelace.

Very interesting! Grace Hopper's famous in the US.

I have a couple of questions:

1. 'Mary had not been able to study much mathematics because of being a woman, even though she had enjoyed it.'

Could you explain at least briefly why being a woman kept her from studying much mathematics? Was it because she wasn't allowed into the classes, or women were discouraged from studying mathematics because of some nutty notion about women's brains, or some other reason? It might help modern readers who won't know why she couldn't do something 'back then'.

2. 'While working on the Mark II computer, she found an actual bug in it...'

This is a cool fact! Is that the origin of the term 'bug' for a glitch in a computer?

Thank you

Excellent questions - I clarified that in Mary's case it was because it was not 'proper' to study the subject, and found that Grace's bug was the first one of the real rather than imaginary insect variety

Wonderful! Thanks for the added value there.

USS Hopper is a better name for a helicopter carrier than a destroyer, methinks…

'In 1985, her title became Rear Admiral, so she had followed in the footsteps of her (male) relative.'
Only the one? Surely she's following two sets of footsteps ( & ) – isn't being in the navy is the same as being in the navy, regardless of whether it is the Royal or US Navy?
You mentioned two notable naval officers earlier, including 'Captain George Murray, the first captain of Horatio Nelson's flagship HMS Victory'. I thought it unlikely that Mr Murray ended his career as a captain, as you’d expect someone who had captained a 104-gun 1st rate ship of the line to be promoted out of the line of duty.
Wikileaks claims HMS Victory's first captain was Captain John Lindsay. I've got photos of the board listing all the captains of HMS Victory at home so if I remember I'll look at that and check*
There are two George Murrays in the Royal Navy at roughly the right time – Vice Admiral Sir George Murray (1741–1797) and Vice Admiral Sir George Murray (1759-1819) who was the Captain of the Fleet at the time of Trafalgar. Either way, while you could quibble that a Vice Admiral outranks a Rear Admiral, I think either Murray Mint qualifies for footsteps following purposes.

I wonder whether they felt that 'man of the year' was an established, accepted phrase, just how freelance workers are often called 'employee of the month'? Definitely daft.

Strange but true, UNIVAC inspired the genius Isaac Asimov's MULTIVAC short stories. Ah, the joy I had reading about MULTIVAC when I was young.

I'd often wondered whether the mythical planet Kobol in 'Battlestar Galactica' (1978 & 2004) was named after COBOL, but Mormon Galactica creator Glen A Larson named it after Kolob, which the Church of Latter Day (Southampton FC supporters?) believe is the / closest to God.

<BB<

* Note to self, Photoshop my name onto list of captains of HMS Victory, possibly between Commodore Sixtyfour and Admiral Carinsurance.

I had to read Bluebottle's post three times and the entry once more before I sorted out what he was babbling on about with HMS Victory. I get it: Grace Hopper had two ancestors who were admirals of some sort, only in two different navies.

How about just saying 'she followed in the footsteps of her ancestors', and leave it at that?

Unless you want to say, 'she set her sail in the wake of her illustrious seafaring forebears...'


I finally got it: helicopter carrier, hopper, , good one....

"USS Hopper is a better name for a helicopter carrier than a destroyer, methinks…"

(I see - thanks DG ) or a helicopter Chopper Hopper!

Thanks for your expertise, <BB< George Murray was Nelson's first captain on the Victory, not the first captain of the Victory, so I rephrased to avoid confusion.

I added a footnote about Isaac Asimov

'ancestors' is a good word, so I changed that

Commodore sixtyfour is worthy of the title - iconic leader in computer technology indeed

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