Miniconf Keynote: The Who of CSIRAC
summary
CSIRAC is Australia’s first digital computer and the uploader claims the fifth stored‑program machine worldwide, built from 1949 hardware that weighs over two tons and runs on roughly 2,000 valves, with volatile acoustic memory and a novel horizontal disk giving about 2.5 KB storage. Input uses punched tape adapted from telegraph gear; an interpreted operating language appears later. It plays music (first recorded on 7 Aug 1951), crunches weather and engineering problems, and leaves fragile paper tapes that expose serious digital‑decay preservation challenges.
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chapters (12)
- 0:00CSIRAC introduction
- 1:10CSIRAC in computing history
- 8:01Human computers to early machines
- 12:17Women in early computing
- 18:48CSIRAC specs and innovations
- 28:38Trevor Pearcey’s vision
- 35:20Human story behind CSIRAC
- 43:13CSIRAC’s move to Melbourne
- 47:32CSIRAC lessons for education
- 54:39CSIRAC’s cultural impact
- 1:02:03CSIRAC’s hidden contributions
- 1:06:46Q&A
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