From Messy Nessy Chic, November 2:
For hundreds of years, the term “computer” was a job title for a human before machines took over the job, and in the late 19th century, computers weren’t just human, they were mostly women. An English Countess and Victorian mathematician, Ada Lovelace, is regarded as the first computer programmer and by World War II, American industrialists were measuring the power of early computer devices in “kilo-girl” hours, not in megahertz or teraflops. It was Grace Hopper who developed the first compiler, Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr invented the basis for modern Wi-Fi, and African-American female mathematicians like Katharine Johnson were the hidden force behind sending the first man to the moon, playing a critical role in America’s pursuit of space exploration. In short, without women, computer science might not exist as we know it today.
Woman wiring an early IBM computer, photographed by Berenice Abbot
Let’s take it back to the scientists of yesteryear in the field of astronomy, navigation and surveying, who were hiring teams of well-educated men to repeatedly compute calculations too tedious for them to drudge through themselves. However, by the late 19th century, these scientists realised that hiring women could be a cheaper alternative, and with the gradual rise of women pursuing higher education, particularly from middle class backgrounds, more young women than ever were well-versed in mathematics....
....MUCH MORE
Although this story has only the one mention of Ada Lovelace, if the reader is curious what she and Charles Babbage were up to we have on offer 2019's "You Get One Guess: What Was The Intended Purpose of The Babbage/Lovelace Proto-Computer Project?".
