Project PX Anniversary

It is recognized that the “Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer” was born on this date in 1943.

It’s secret name was “Project PX” … But it’s nic-name was ENIAC …

It was a secret project during WWII with the US Army and U Penn’s Moore School with a funding of half a million dollars which would be the equivalent of six billion dollars in today’s value of currency.

Its purpose was to calculate firing ballistics.

We owe every computer to this early project.

Mainly made of electron tubes and uncountable feet of wire, it was a huge calculator. Something we take for granted today – it was very much the cutting edge of technology at the time.

Imagine having to run around and replace sets of electron tubes that burned out every time a calculation was run. A real technician’s nightmare.

I can’t imagine how they managed to keep that monster cool either.

That would seem to be a technical feat in itself ! And the miles of wire like a super rat colony spun it.

It would be many years before the transistor took the place of the electron tube. and several decades until the integrated circuit replaced discrete transistors.

Imagine the amazement they would have then if they could see a mere 60 years in the future to our cell phones and touch screen tablets. Not to mention the Internet.

They thought by now we would all be driving jet cars and have robot servants.

It seems the future is never so clear …

… but one can see that today’s technical monstrosities will become tomorrows
pocket toys.

Category: Tony Rollo Blog