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The Complex Number Calculator (CNC) is Completed
Bell Telephone Laboratories completes this calculator, designed by scientist George Stibitz.
- Stibitz stunned the group by performing calculations remotely on the CNC (located in New York City) using a Teletype terminal connected via to New York over special telephone lines. -
The Three Laws of Robotics
Isaac Asimov publishes the science fiction short story Liar! in the May issue of Astounding Science Fiction. In it, he introduced the Three Laws of Robotics: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. -
Isaac Asimov's I, Robot
Isaac Asimov's I, Robot is published. Perhaps in reaction to earlier dangerous fictional robots, Asimov’s creations must obey the “Three Laws of Robotics” (1941) to assure they are no threat to humans or each other. The book consisted of nine science fiction short stories. -
Introduction to Cybernetics
Norbert Wiener publishes the book Cybernetics, which has a major influence on research into artificial intelligence and control systems. Wiener drew on his World War II experiments with anti-aircraft systems that anticipated the course of enemy planes by interpreting radar images. the term "cybernetics" from the Greek word for "steersman." -
First Computer Program to Run on a Computer
University of Manchester researchers Frederic Williams, Tom Kilburn, and Geoff Toothill developed the Small-Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM), better known as the Manchester "Baby."- The Baby was built to test a new memory technology developed by Williams and Kilburn -- soon known as the Williams Tube – which was the first high-speed electronic random access memory for computers.
