By “I never am really satisfied that understand anything; because understand it well as I may, my comprehension can only be an infinitesimal fraction of all I want to understand” (Ada Lovelace)
Ada Lovelace (1815 – 1852) was the world’s first computer programmer. More information about her work can be found on Wikipedia:
“Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage’s early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine include what is recognised as the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine. Because of this, she is often described as the world’s first computer programmer.
“Lovelace was born 10 December 1815 as the only legitimate child of the poet Lord Byron.
“She referred to herself as a poetical scientist and an Analyst (& Metaphysician).
“As a young adult, her mathematical talents led her to an ongoing working relationship and friendship with fellow British mathematician Charles Babbage, and in particular Babbage’s work on the analytical engine.
“Between 1842 and 1843, she translated an article by Italian military engineer Luigi Menabrea on the engine, which she supplemented with an elaborate set of notes of her own, simply called Notes. These notes contain what is considered by some to be the first computer program—that is, an algorithm encoded for processing by a machine.
“Lovelace’s notes are important in the early history of computers. She also developed a vision on the capability of computers to go beyond mere calculating or number-crunching while others, including Babbage himself, focused only on those capabilities.”
On Ada Lovelace day, plenty of the material has been shared on the web to commemorate this intelligent woman, and champion the female’s potential in STEM.
The Storify below captures a vast amount of articles, news, tweets, blog posts, infographics, podcasts, radio programmes, pictures and research.
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