Pioneers and Key Concepts in Computing and Technology
Blaise Pascal: Computing Pioneer
Blaise Pascal was a mathematician, physicist, French philosopher, and theologian, considered one of the fathers of computing. He strongly influenced the development of modern economics and social sciences, creating mechanical calculators and contributing to the mathematical theory of probability. He died at the age of 39.
The Pascaline: An Early Calculator
The Pascaline, invented by Pascal, was the first prototype calculator. However, it was not very efficient, and its complexity and size made it almost impractical. It could only perform very simple operations.
Charles Babbage: Visionary of Computing
Charles Babbage was a British mathematician and computer scientist. He is considered one of the fathers of the computer, mainly for his efforts and designs to create a computer, although he never fully achieved it. He also designed and partially implemented a steam-powered mechanical difference engine to compute tables of numbers.
Babbage’s Difference Engine: A Mechanical Calculator
Babbage’s Difference Engine was a mechanical digital calculator created to tabulate polynomial functions. It was initially invented by J.H. Mueller but rediscovered by Babbage, who designed but never definitively built it.
Per Georg Scheutz: Building on Babbage’s Work
Per Georg Scheutz was a lawyer, translator, and 19th-century Swedish inventor. He is known for his inventions, the most prominent being the Scheutzian calculation engine, based on Charles Babbage’s difference engine. Although not perfect, it was the last prototype before Martin Wiberg’s improved machine. Scheutz received the gold medal at the World’s Fair in Paris for his machine.
ASCII Code: Character Encoding
ASCII code is a character code based on the Latin alphabet as used in modern English and other Western languages. The ASCII code uses 7 bits to represent characters, although it initially used an extra bit (a parity bit) for error detection. The term “ASCII code” is often incorrectly used to refer to other 8-bit character encodings, which are extensions that use 8 bits to provide additional characters used in languages other than English, such as Spanish.
RGB Color Model: Representing Colors Digitally
The RGB color model refers to color composition in terms of the intensity of the primary colors: red, green, and blue. It is a color model based on additive synthesis, where colors are represented by mixing these three primary light colors. This system is used to create images pixel by pixel.
Geostationary Satellites and the Clarke Belt
- Geostationary: A satellite is said to be geostationary, or in a geostationary orbit, when it remains stationary over a specific part of the globe. This requires two conditions: the satellite’s orbit must be above the plane of Earth’s equator, and its orbital period must be synchronous with Earth’s rotation.
- Clarke Belt: The Clarke Belt is the area of space approximately 36,000 km above sea level, at the level of the equator, where geostationary orbits can be achieved.
Light/Sound Offset and GIS
- Light/Sound Offset: This is the difference in time it takes for waves (radio, TV, etc.) to transmit an image with its corresponding sound. It must be configured to avoid desynchronization.
- GIS (Geographic Information System): GIS is an organized integration of hardware, software, and geographic data designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information to solve complex planning and management problems.
Internet Risks and Intellectual Property
- Internet Risks: This is a broad topic that can encompass various threats and vulnerabilities associated with internet use.
- Intellectual Property: This implies the recognition of a particular right in favor of an author or other rights holders over works of the human intellect.
Storage Technologies: CD-ROM, DVD, and Blu-ray
- CD-ROM: A compact disc used to store non-volatile information, using the same method as audio CDs. It can be read by a computer with a CD reader. A CD-ROM is a flat plastic disc with digital information encoded in a spiral from the center to the outer edge.
- DVD: An optical storage device that emerged in 1995.
- Blu-ray: A next-generation optical disc format, 12 cm in diameter, for high-definition video and high-density data storage.
Pixel: The Building Block of Digital Images
A pixel is the smallest uniform unit of color that makes up a digital image, whether it’s a photograph, video frame, or graphic. Pixels appear as small colored squares when you zoom in on digital images.