Dec 30, 2019
In the conclusion to our discussion of PLATO we look at the final incarnation of the system: PLATO IV. How did an educational machine turn into one of the earliest online communities? What was it like to use PLATO at it's height? Along the way we will look at the software, hardware, and video games that made PLATO...
Episode 19 Notes - Early PLATO
Dec 19, 2019
PLATO(Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) was an ambitious project started in 1960 with the goal of revolutionizing learning. And despite massive technical advances made by the project it remains relatively obscure today. It started out small, with just one terminal connected to the University of...
Dec 16, 2019
In the 1960s a small project started at the University of Illinois. This project, called PLATO, would go on to pioneer a truly impressive amount of new technology, including the first plasma screen, MMO video games, and time-sharing. However, PLATO remains relatively unknown today.
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Episode 18 Notes - Inside the Mouse
Dec 5, 2019
The computer mouse is one of the most ubiquitous devices in the world. It's the primary way we interact with computers. And it's also one of the longest lived computing devices. Since its invention in the early 1960s the overall design of the computer mouse has changed very little. That being said, there has been...
Dec 2, 2019
The computer mouse is a ubiquitous device, it's also one of the least changed devices we use with a computer. The mice we use today have only seen small incremental improvements since the first mouse was developed. So how did such a long lasting design take shape, and how did it travel the decades up to now?
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