Crossing the Newton-Maxwell Gap: Convergences and Contingencies

Abstract

The shift from electromechanical computing to fully electronic, digital, Turing-complete computing was one of the most influential technological developments of the twentieth century. The social, economic, political, interdisciplinary, and cultural aspects behind that shift were significant, but are often ignored. When the contingencies and controversies behind the birth of modern computing are forgotten, the history of computing is often misrepresented as one of uncomplicated linear progress. In this article some of the sociocultural aspects of the birth of modern computing are reviewed. The significance of interdisciplinary work is discussed. The concept of the stored-program paradigm is introduced, and some sociocultural factors behind its birth are discussed. Finally, it is argued that some traits of research that are often considered to be negative, such as opportunism, eclecticism, and stubbornness, have played a positive role in the birth of modern computing technology. *

Situating science in Africa: The dynamics of computing research in Nairobi and Kampala

“…Computer science is also different in its methodological approach. It has always been a field that draws on its cultural context to frame and understand problems (Tedre and Sutinen, 2009), and one that blurs boundaries between math/theory and engineering/technology/application (Denning, 2003). In African societies, computer science is a 21 st -century phenomenon that undergirds the contemporary formation of biomedical and agricultural research and applications.…”