By Heidi Hackford On September 1, 2022, CHM celebrated the 50th anniversary of the creation of Smalltalk, the transformative programming language, development, and user environment first pioneered in 1972 by Alan Kay, Dan Ingalls, Adele Goldberg, and other members of Kay’s Learning Research Group (LRG) at Xerox PARC. …

By David C. Brock The compositions of F. Richard Moore and the films of Lillian F. Schwartz Computers, music, and film have all collided, creating a new kind of primordial earth out of which new ideas may grow. The new science of information has import and application not only to moon landings and communication theory, but to humanistic and artistic fields as well…

By David C. Brock An Evening of the Old, and of the New From the earliest days of electronic computers, people have used them to create art: from drawings to poems, from screenplays to paintings, and from music to films. …

By Heidi Hackford Everyone thinks the pixel is trivial, but it is a very profound idea. — Alvy Ray Smith The tiny pixel is the “big idea” that ties all digital imaging together, transforming art, entertainment, and the world as we know it. …

By Dag Spicer The silicon chip, or integrated circuit (IC), is one of humankind’s most magnificent, complex, and transformative creations. The IC itself is a silicon sandwich made up of many transistors (little switches) wired together into electrical circuits. Since Robert Noyce and Jack Kilby’s coinvention of the IC in…

By David C. Brock LYNN CONWAY AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY ONLINE Across the United States, countless Americans have celebrated and honored LGBTQ+ Pride Month this year, 2022. They have paraded, cheered, and reflected in solidarity with their families, friends, and strangers alike. These observations have taken place against an outrageous, hateful, and ultimately failed attempt by right-wing…

By Heidi Hackford Sal Khan Gets Down to Earth “Free world-class education for anyone anywhere.” That’s the ambitious mission of the popular online learning platform Khan Academy. Visionary founder Sal Khan, winner of the CHM Patrick J. McGovern Tech for Humanity Luminary award, was onstage at CHM in a rare appearance on June 1, 2022. …

By David C. Brock A Software Entrepreneur and LGBTQ+ History With each passing year, the place of June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month seems to gain greater recognition and wider celebration. This year, I was delighted to talk to my 76-year-old aunt about her experience marching for the first time in a Pride parade-from Lambertville, New Jersey…

By Dag Spicer The Los Alamos Conference For five summer days in 1976, the first generation of computer rock stars had its own Woodstock. Coming from around the world, dozens of computing’s top engineers, scientists, and software pioneers got together to reflect upon the first 25 years of their discipline in the warm, sunny…