February 2013 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

Fwd: Making the History of Computing Relevant
by M. Hicks 11 Feb '13

11 Feb '13

Here is a public history conference that may be of interest, especially to those near London. Apologies if this has already been posted. Details attached. Best, Marie ______________________ Marie Hicks, Ph.D. Asst. Professor, History of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL USA mariehicks.net | mhicks1(a)iit.edu | @histoftech Begin forwarded message: > From: Blyth Tilly <Tilly.Blyth(a)sciencemuseum.ac.uk> > Date: February 11, 2013 9:02:23 CST > To: Blyth Tilly <Tilly.Blyth(a)sciencemuseum.ac.uk> > Subject: Making the History of Computing Relevant > > Please see attached this Call for Papers for a two day conference on ‘Making the History of Computing Relevant’ at the Science Museum in June 2013. We are keen to attract curators from museums with computing collections to talk about the challenges and techniques for displaying historic computers, as well as individuals working on capturing the stories from the past. > > Best wishes, Tilly > > Dr Tilly Blyth > Keeper of Technologies and Engineering > Science Museum > Exhibition Road > London SW7 2DD

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CfP 2nd Conf. History & Philosophy of Computing (HaPoC 2013), ENS Paris
by Maarten.Bullynck＠kuttaka.org 11 Feb '13

11 Feb '13

Dear SIGCIS-members, please find below the Call for Papers for the 2nd International Conference on the History and Philosophy of Computing (HaPoC 2013) best, Maarten Bullynck Associate Professor in the history of science, Universit� Paris 8 [Apologies for cross-posting] CALL FOR PAPERS, 2nd International CONFERENCE on the HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF COMPUTING (HaPoC 2013) 28th - 31st October 2013 Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris. with a special session on "Computing and the Arts" at Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs http://hapoc2013.sciencesconf.org We are happy to announce that the 2nd International Conference on the History and Philosophy of Computing (HaPoC 2013) will take place from the 28th to the 31st of October 2013 at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris (France). The birth of the computing and its sciences has often been the topic of philosophical and historical reflection. The HaPoC-conferences have decided to bring together the historical and the philosophical viewpoints. They want to create an environment for a true interdisciplinary convergence around computer science, reenforcing research on the science(s) of computing and its history and stimulating a theoretical dialogue between these domains. To furter this dialogue HaPoC has chosen to have no parallel sessions. Our invited speakers are: Janet Abbate; Bernard Chazelle (tbc); Walter Dean; Nathan Ensmenger; Jean-Yves Girard; Barbara Liskov (tbc); Margit Rosen and Franck Varenne. HaPoC 2013 is the follow-up conference to HaPoC 2011 (Gent, Belgium). Please check out the website of HaPoC 2013 for more information on the conference: http://hapoc2013.sciencesconf.org For HaPoC 2013 we welcome contributions from logicians, philosophers and historians of computing as well as from philosophically aware computer scientists and mathematicians. Topics include but are not limited to: 1. Approaches to the notion of computing a. History and Philosophy of Computability b. History and Philosophy of Computation c. History and Philosophy of Programming d. History and Philosophy of the Computer 2. Applications and uses of Computing a. . History and Epistemology of the use of Computing in the sciences b. Computing and the Arts : historical and conceptual issues c. Social, ethical and paedagogical aspects of Computing We cordially invite researchers working in a field relevant to the main topics of the conference to submit a short abstract of approximately 200 words and an extended abstract of at most a 1000 words (references included) to https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=hapoc2 Abstracts must be written in English and anonymized. Please note that the format of uploaded files must be .pdf or .doc. The submission deadline is: April 30th, 2013 Best regards, the organisers, Maarten Bullynck (Paris 8 & SPHERE) Jean-Baptiste Joinet (Lyon 3 & CIRPHLES)

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Article on Colossus
by Bernardo Batiz-Lazo 11 Feb '13

11 Feb '13

Might be of interest BBC: "The road to uncovering a wartime Colossus" How Brian Randell revealed the secrets of Colossus. bbc.in/VP7UgK #BPark Kind regards Bernardo Bangor University (Wales)

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Fwd: CFP: Futures Past MIT Conference, November 21-23, 2013
by M. Hicks 10 Feb '13

10 Feb '13

I thought the conference call below might be of interest. Best, Marie ______________________ Marie Hicks, Ph.D. Asst. Professor, History of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL USA mariehicks.net | mhicks1(a)iit.edu | @histoftech Begin forwarded message: > From: "Hope Leman, H-SCI-MED-TECH" <smtedit(a)MAIL.H-NET.MSU.EDU> > Date: February 10, 2013 11:48:03 CST > To: H-SCI-MED-TECH(a)H-NET.MSU.EDU > Subject: CFP: Futures Past MIT Conference, November 21-23, 2013 > Reply-To: h-sci-med-tech(a)h-net.msu.edu > > Subject: CFP: Futures Past MIT Conference, November 21-23, 2013 > From: "Touloumi, Olga" <touloumi(a)fas.harvard.edu> > Date: Sun, February 10, 2013 1:54 am > > FUTURES PAST: Design and the Machine > MIT, November 21-23, 2013 > Deadline: March 29, 2013 > > http://descomp.scripts.mit.edu/futurespast/ > > Call for papers > > In 1960, the readers of the IRE Transactions on Human Factors in > Electronics encountered J.C.R. Licklider speculating on the future. “The > hope,” he contended, “is that, in not too many years, human brains and > computer machines would be coupled together very tightly and the resulting > partnership will think as no human brain has ever thought.” He called this > new cooperative interaction between the human and the computer a > “symbiosis.” At that moment, computers were conceptualized either as > compliant instruments extending the capabilities of the human subject, or > intelligent replacements, automating operations previously performed by > the human mind and hand. Positioning himself between the distant prospect > of artificial intelligence and the use of machines as mechanical > extensions, Licklider declared “symbiosis” a productive way to engage with > the changing technological environment. > > This manifesto-like proposition coincided with the changing role of > technology in design. Faced with the difference between the “symbionts” – > the “man” and the “computer” – new research agendas raised questions of > method, representation, interaction, and imagination. As computational > media pervade design pedagogy and practice, the model of interaction > between humans and computers in relation to the creative process persists > as a research question, even though consistently obscured by the > exigencies of practice. A new encounter with Licklider’s proposition fifty > years later will help us rethink and contextualize the relationship > between the human, the machine, and design. > > This conference invites papers that inquire into the past that preceded, > the present that coexisted with, and the future that followed Licklider’s > proposition. We are interested in explorations of the assumptions and > hypotheses that conditioned the coupling of humans with computational > machines, and the debates around the roles of design and designer. Papers > that investigate the institutional and intellectual history of > human-machine systems and/or situate them within the social and economic > context of the second half of the 20th century, are particularly welcome. > > Topics include but are not limited to: > > • Research laboratories and design thinking > • Scientific methods in design and their critique > • Knowledge transfer and the military-industrial complex > • Interfaces, human-computer interaction and design > • Networks, infrastructure, environmental thinking, and computation > • Computer labs in architecture schools > • Computation in design (architecture) school curricula > • Participatory design tools and methods > • Computation before and after the computer > • Information and the architectural object > • Computational representations and their intellectual history > • Cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and models of the designer > • Experience and computation > • Mediation and media in human-machine systems > • Impact on contemporary pedagogy, research, and practice > > In 1960s Licklider anticipated that the immediate future concerned with > the agenda of “symbiosis,” would be “intellectually the most creative and > exciting in the history of mankind.” Is this future past? > > Submission > > Please submit your CV and an abstract of 500 words to futurespast(a)mit.edu > by March 29, 2013. Accepted participants will be notified by April 26. > > > -- > H-SCI-MED-TECH > The H-Net list for the History of Science, Medicine and Technology > Email address for postings: h-sci-med-tech(a)h-net.msu.edu > Homepage: http://www.h-net.org/~smt/ > To unsubscribe or change your subscription options, please use the > Web Interface: http://www.h-net.org/lists/manage.cgi

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New CHM Lecture: Elon Musk!
by Dag Spicer 07 Feb '13

07 Feb '13

Dear SIGCIS Friends, Here's a great new lecture we just hosted with serial entrepreneur Elon Musk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHHwXUm3iIg&list=UUHDr4RtxwA1KqKGwxgdK4Vg&in… Published on Feb 5, 2013 [Recorded: January 22, 2013] "I could either watch it happen or be part of it." Elon Musk on joining the Internet Revolution "If you had a chance to go back in time and work with Howard Hughes when he was creating TWA, if you had a chance to be there at that moment when it was the dawn of a brand new era, wouldn't you want to do that? That's why I'm here." Dr. Garrett E. Reisman NASA Astronaut (former) and Senior Engineer, SpaceX On CBS' 60 Minutes March 16, 2012 Elon Musk is living two ultimate boyhood fantasies: creating a sports car company and a rocket launch corporation. As co-founder of PayPal, Musk helped transform payment online systems and then, like a true revolutionary, set his sights on electric cars and space transport. Today Elon Musk is CEO of both Tesla Motors and SpaceX. He also serves as chairman of SolarCity, the solar power provider. In 2008, Musk was named as one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century by Esquire magazine and one year later, the National Space Society awarded Musk their Von Braun Trophy, given for leadership of the most significant achievement in space. In 2010, Musk was the youngest recipient of the Auto Executive of the Year Innovator Award and was listed as one of Time Magazine's 100 of the World's Most Influential People. His life story was the inspiration for the Iron Man movies about an executive turned space hero. Join Alison van Diggelen of Fresh Dialogues for a lively conversation with Elon Musk about what inspired his entrepreneurial journey from South Africa to Silicon Valley; the lessons he learned at PayPal, Tesla Motors, SpaceX and SolarCity; and how he manages to lead two ground-breaking companies simultaneously. Why does he believe that electric cars are a vital component in the move away from oil to a more sustainable energy economy? And what is behind his fascination with creating a multiplanetary future for mankind, including a self-sustaining base on Mars? Enjoy! Dag -- Dag Spicer | Senior Curator | Computer History Museum Editorial Board | Annals of the History of Computing 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd. | Mountain View CA 94043 Tel: +1 650 810 1035 | Fax: +1 650 810 1055 Twitter: @ComputerHistory FB: facebook.com/computerhistory Blog: http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/ "Only art and science give us hope of a higher life." -- Beethoven

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U Michigan: Postdoc in Infrastructure Studies
by Paul N. Edwards 02 Feb '13

02 Feb '13

Please forward widely! Applicants are welcome to write any of the organizers - me, Christian Sandvig, or Carl Lagoze - about this position. - Paul Postdoctoral Fellow in Infrastructure Studies The University of Michigan announces an eleven-month postdoctoral fellowship position. The position will start September 1, 2013. Salary: $50-60,000 per year (depending on negotiated duties), plus a competitive benefits package, $5,000 in discretionary funding, and the opportunity to appoint and supervise one or more paid undergraduate research assistants to work on projects of your choice. To apply: Candidates should submit the following materials electronically to Prof. Christian Sandvig at <infra-postdoc(a)umich.edu> Email <infra-postdoc(a)umich.edu> one PDF file which includes: A statement of interest describing your relevant background and skills A current curriculum vitae The name and contact information for three references. (One reference should be your doctoral advisor.) Letters of recommendation will only be solicited from finalists. Two publications or other writing samples Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Position Description The Department of Communication Studies (in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts) and the School of Information are jointly offering a postdoctoral fellow position in the multidisciplinary area of “infrastructure studies.” The addition of information technology is transforming the way society provides important infrastructures, including those that support media, telecommunications, power, and transport, but also those that support knowledge, culture, and scientific data. Thanks to new capabilities in computing and control, every year our infrastructures claim to be “smarter,” with new capacities for distributed processing, analysis, sensing, adapting, and autonomous self-improvement. This radical transformation is well underway, but the assessment of its consequences is still in its infancy. For example, infrastructure unevenly distributes benefits and capabilities, with complex and sometimes unforeseen implications for politics, economics, knowledge, and social justice (to name just a few domains). This position will fund a researcher who will have the opportunity to work alongside senior collaborators to define and shape this new area of scholarship. Qualifications: The successful applicant will have completed the Ph.D. in a related area by the start date with a dissertation related to information and/or media infrastructures, broadly defined. The ideal candidate may be trained in science & technology studies, information science, media theory, computer-supported collaborative work, and/or human-computer interaction. Applicants should have some familiarity with qualitative research methods. Applicants who also have some technical background related to the infrastructure(s) they study are of particular interest, but this is not required. This position is jointly sponsored by two academic units located on adjacent floors of the same building. The postdoctoral fellow will have office space in the Department of Communication Studies and may have the opportunity to teach one course in the School of Information (to be negotiated). The postdoctoral fellow will pursue his or her own independent research agenda, but will also be expected to collaborate with the faculty on the convening committee (listed below). The postdoctoral fellow will be an equal member of the research group. S/he will be expected not only to conduct independent research, but also to collaborate actively in joint research projects with faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate research assistants. This responsibility includes regular communication and coordination with the project team. The postdoc will also be expected to contribute substantially to publications related to “infrastructure studies,” acting as first author on some and as a secondary author on others. Convening committee: Prof. Christian Sandvig (chair) <csandvig(a)umich.edu> Prof. Carl Lagoze <clagoze(a)umich.edu> Prof. Paul N. Edwards <pne(a)umich.edu> Please feel free to contact any member of the convening committee with questions about this position. As mentioned above, please send application materials to the search committee <infra-postdoc(a)umich.edu> and not to individual committee members. Non-Discrimination Policy Notice The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.

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Historical CHM lecture now posted - The Rand Johnniac computer
by Dag Spicer 01 Feb '13

01 Feb '13

Published on Jan 31, 2013 [Recorded: September 15, 1998] The Johnniac computer, built by The Rand Corporation, was one of seventeen custom-built machines inspired by the Institute of Advanced Study (Princeton) architecture. This design specified a binary, bit-parallel machine optimized for "number crunching" and introduced the "stored program" concept--that is, the storing of both data and instructions in memory. Using 2300 vacuum tubes, the IAS machine was the result of work supervised by Dr. John von Neumann, to whom the offspring-computer named "Johnniac" paid homage (though von Neumann "disapproved.") Other machines of the IAS-class besides the Johnniac included: the MANIAC (Los Alamos), the ILLIAC (University of Illinois), the SILIAC (Australia), and IBM's first electronic, general-purpose computer, the Model 701. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVnOCT_r3so&feature=em-subs_digest This evening's speakers are: Paul Armer, Mort Bernstein, Willis Ware, Bill Gunning. Enjoy! Dag

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