''The Machine That Changed the World'' (1992) (broadcast the previous year under the alternative title "The Dream Machine" in the UK, with different narration, content & editing) is a 5-episode television series on the history of electronic digital computers. It was written and directed by Nancy Linde, and produced by
WGBH Television of Boston, Massachusetts, and the
British Broadcasting Corporation
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public broadcasting, public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved in ...
. Backers included the
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is a US-based international learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 and is the world's largest scientific and educational computing society. The ACM is a non-profit professional membe ...
, the
National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...
, and the
UNISYS
Unisys Corporation is a global technology solutions company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The company provides cloud, AI, digital workplace, logistics, and enterprise computing services.
History Founding
Unis ...
Corporation.
The first three episodes deal with the history of fully electronic general-purpose digital computers from the
ENIAC
ENIAC (; Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first Computer programming, programmable, Electronics, electronic, general-purpose digital computer, completed in 1945. Other computers had some of these features, but ENIAC was ...
through desktop microcomputers. The pre-history of such machines is examined in the first episode ("Giant Brains"), and includes a discussion of the contributions of
Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer.
Babbage is considered ...
,
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (''née'' Byron; 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852), also known as Ada Lovelace, was an English mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-pur ...
,
Alan Turing
Alan Mathison Turing (; 23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954) was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist. He was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer ...
, and others. The fourth episode ("The Thinking Machine") explores the topic of
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
. The fifth episode ("The World at Your Fingertips") explores the then-newly-emerging worldwide networking of computers. All episodes begin and end with a song by
Peter Howell, "Stellae matutinae radius exoritur" ("The morning star's ray arises") and are narrated by long-time ''
Frontline'' narrator
Will Lyman
William Lyman (born May 20, 1948) is an American actor. Known for his polished, resonant voice, he has narrated the PBS series '' Frontline'' since its second season in 1984. He played William Tell in the action/adventure television series ''Cr ...
.
External links
*
Video resource guide at American University Computing History MuseumSynopsis of Episode 1, "Giant Brains" at waxy.orgSynopsis of Episode 2, "Inventing the Future", at waxy.orgSynopsis of Episode 3, "The Paperback Computer", at waxy.org
Synopsis of Episode 4, "The Thinking Machine", at waxy.orgSynopsis of Episode 5, "The World at Your Fingertips", at waxy.org
1990s American documentary television series
Documentary television series about computing
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