Below is a selection of items from the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, where U of T grad Dag Spicer (BA 1993 TRIN, MA 1995), is senior curator (see Computer Whiz).
Antikythera Mechanism (150–100 BC): The multiply geared machine, dredged up from the depths of the Aegean Sea at the turn of the 20th century, helped the ancient Greeks predict the location of the planets and moon and the timing of eclipses – making it the earliest known astronomical calculator. |
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![]() Enigma Machine (1928): It was used by the Nazis to send secret messages during the Second World War – secret until British intellectuals used Polish intelligence and a computing device named the Bombe to break the code. Encrypting and decrypting technology remains relevant for sensitive emails. |
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