Paul, Tom, and Colleagues [apologies to Marie and Tom for flooding their inboxes due to a problem I was having in my email subscription] In my lab, we explore methods of computation describable by synthetic (e.g. game-based sandbox environments such as Portal, Minecraft, etc) and tangible (e.g., physical models of computing) methods. With this strategy, the history of analog computing as well as the history of technology more generally, contain valuable cues toward the principles of computer science (the properties of memory, sequence, conditional branching and so forth). Are there others on this list with an analog computing interest, or is there another list, where analog methods are discussed, perhaps for their pedagogical advantage? In a possible departure from the norm, but consistent with an analog computing emphasis, I would claim that “the first human-made computers” were tally sticks. With the birth of number, came the method of computing. Within this particular technology, we find the basics: randomly addressable memory, ability to read and write, control, and arithmetic in its raw form---counting). On a separate personal topic, but related tangentially to this thread, in grad school at Penn, I was informed that my desk was in the vicinity of the old ENIAC work area. Indeed, my desk was definitely World War II vintage—warped, chipped and tiny. My interests were (and are) in graphics and computer simulation and for some reason I was blissfully unaware of the history of the ENIAC. I have been attempting to resurrect this interest starting with one simulator that I found on line. If others exist, please let me know where I might find them. -paul Paul Fishwick, PhD Chair, ACM SIGSIM Distinguished Chair of Arts & Technology and Professor of Computer Science Director, Creative Automata Laboratory The University of Texas at Dallas Arts & Technology 800 West Campbell Road, AT10 Richardson, TX 75080-3021 Home: utdallas.edu/atec/fishwick Blog: creative-automata.com