Origin of the word "throughput"
Dear all, My name is Kevin Lambert, an historian of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century physic-mathematics with an interest in the history of the computer and someone who very much appreciates your exchanges. I have recently had the following inquiry (see below) directed my way. Can anybody help? Prof. Lambert,
I am a contributing editor at Popular Science, and I am working on a feature for the magazine for which I'm trying to find the origin of the term "high throughput." Andy Jewett at Harvard (who was my advisor for my MA thesis at NYU a few years ago) suggested I contact you.
I have asked a few bioinformatics people where "high throughput" comes from, because the first time I learned about it was through genomics and drug discovery. They couldn't answer. I am now wondering if it is a computing term-- I know that "high throughput computing" exists-- that was adapted for biology. Andy suggested I check with you on the computing connection.
Any ideas on the origin of this term? If not, any suggestions on who might know? I've run multiple book/journal article searches and haven't come up with anything useful.
I realize this is very short notice right before the holidays, but if you have time to respond sometime tomorrow or by early next week, I'd be very grateful. If you'd like to learn more about my project, I'm happy to explain on the phone.
Thanks very much, Brooke
-- ___________________ Brooke Borel www.brookeborel.com <http://www.brookeborel.com> (001) 646.262.4346 <tel:646.262.4346>
twitter: @brookeborel
It's an early 19th century term that transferred to computer science in the early 1960s. It's generally assumed to be of Scottish origin and was applied to distilling, refining and other continuous processes. The OED gives a 1915 first usage. Gene Amdahl uses the term in 1962 and hence it could have been used on the System 360 project. David -------------------------------- David Alan Grier Fellow, IEEE President Elect, Computer Society Assoc Prof. Int. Sci & Tech Policy. On Jan 3, 2012, at 2:29 PM, Lambert, Kevin wrote:
Dear all,
My name is Kevin Lambert, an historian of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century physic-mathematics with an interest in the history of the computer and someone who very much appreciates your exchanges. I have recently had the following inquiry (see below) directed my way. Can anybody help?
Prof. Lambert,
I am a contributing editor at Popular Science, and I am working on a feature for the magazine for which I'm trying to find the origin of the term "high throughput." Andy Jewett at Harvard (who was my advisor for my MA thesis at NYU a few years ago) suggested I contact you.
I have asked a few bioinformatics people where "high throughput" comes from, because the first time I learned about it was through genomics and drug discovery. They couldn't answer. I am now wondering if it is a computing term-- I know that "high throughput computing" exists-- that was adapted for biology. Andy suggested I check with you on the computing connection.
Any ideas on the origin of this term? If not, any suggestions on who might know? I've run multiple book/journal article searches and haven't come up with anything useful.
I realize this is very short notice right before the holidays, but if you have time to respond sometime tomorrow or by early next week, I'd be very grateful. If you'd like to learn more about my project, I'm happy to explain on the phone.
Thanks very much, Brooke
-- ___________________ Brooke Borel www.brookeborel.com <http://www.brookeborel.com> (001) 646.262.4346 <tel:646.262.4346>
twitter: @brookeborel
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members@sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members
Not sure if this helps but I can establish a baseline for the term. In the "Computer Dictionary and Handbook" published by Howard Sams in 1966, Charles J. Sippl defines "throughput" as "The productivity based on all aspects of an operation, e.g. a computer with a capability of simultaneous operations of read/write/compute would have a high throughput rating." Paul E. Ceruzzi Chair, Division of Space History National Air & Space Museum MRC 311; PO Box 37012 Washington, DC 20013-7012 202-633-2414 <http://www.nasm.si.edu/staffDetail.cfm?staffID=24> -----Original Message----- From: members-bounces@sigcis.org [mailto:members-bounces@sigcis.org] On Behalf Of Lambert, Kevin Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 2:30 PM To: members@sigcis.org Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] Origin of the word "throughput" Dear all, My name is Kevin Lambert, an historian of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century physic-mathematics with an interest in the history of the computer and someone who very much appreciates your exchanges. I have recently had the following inquiry (see below) directed my way. Can anybody help? Prof. Lambert,
I am a contributing editor at Popular Science, and I am working on a feature for the magazine for which I'm trying to find the origin of the term "high throughput." Andy Jewett at Harvard (who was my advisor for my MA thesis at NYU a few years ago) suggested I contact you.
I have asked a few bioinformatics people where "high throughput" comes from, because the first time I learned about it was through genomics and drug discovery. They couldn't answer. I am now wondering if it is a computing term-- I know that "high throughput computing" exists-- that was adapted for biology. Andy suggested I check with you on the computing connection.
Any ideas on the origin of this term? If not, any suggestions on who might know? I've run multiple book/journal article searches and haven't come up with anything useful.
I realize this is very short notice right before the holidays, but if you have time to respond sometime tomorrow or by early next week, I'd be very grateful. If you'd like to learn more about my project, I'm happy to explain on the phone.
Thanks very much, Brooke
-- ___________________ Brooke Borel www.brookeborel.com <http://www.brookeborel.com> (001) 646.262.4346 <tel:646.262.4346>
twitter: @brookeborel _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members@sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/ and you can change your subscription options at http://sigcis.org/mailman/listinfo/members
Although "throughput" and "high throughput" are used in describing computer systems, the term is sufficiently common in descriptions of industrial processes that it is difficult to pin down a single origin of the use of the term in connection with bioassays. In its definition of "throughput", the OED gives "He has nae great throw-pit" (1808), "larger throughput [of ore]" (1930), "higher throughput [of milk]" (1958), and a number of similar citations from numerous domains. Its earliest citation of "throughput" in connection with computing comes from the New Scientist (1965). David Hemmendinger hemmendd@union.edu Professor Emeritus http://athena.union.edu/~hemmendd Computer Science Dept. +1 518 346 4489 Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308 FAX: +1 518 388 6789
Not sure if this helps but I can establish a baseline for the term. In the "Computer Dictionary and Handbook" published by Howard Sams in 1966, Charles J. Sippl defines "throughput" as "The productivity based on all aspects of an operation, e.g. a computer with a capability of simultaneous operations of read/write/compute would have a high throughput rating."
My name is Kevin Lambert, an historian of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century physic-mathematics with an interest in the history of the computer and someone who very much appreciates your exchanges. I have recently had the following inquiry (see below) directed my way. Can anybody help?
Prof. Lambert,
I am a contributing editor at Popular Science, and I am working on a feature for the magazine for which I'm trying to find the origin of the term "high throughput." Andy Jewett at Harvard (who was my advisor for my MA thesis at NYU a few years ago) suggested I contact you.
I have asked a few bioinformatics people where "high throughput" comes from, because the first time I learned about it was through genomics and drug discovery. They couldn't answer. I am now wondering if it is a computing term-- I know that "high throughput computing" exists-- that was adapted for biology. Andy suggested I check with you on the computing connection.
Any ideas on the origin of this term? If not, any suggestions on who might know? I've run multiple book/journal article searches and haven't come up with anything useful.
participants (4)
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Ceruzzi, Paul -
David Grier -
hemmendd＠union.edu -
Lambert, Kevin