January 6, 2005 -
1957
Hello, and
welcome 1957 In Mike's Life the fifth weekly installment of this program, a
autobiographical retrospective of the past 52 years beginning with the year I
was born (1953) and ending with my 52nd birthday in 2005.
I'm a little off
schedule even my new updated schedule this is the first of two episode I plan to
this week so I can get back on schedule
with 1958 by then end of the weekend!
The biggest news
of 1957 was the launch, by the former Soviet Union, of Sputnik, the world's
first man-made orbiting satellite. This changed the level of effort put forth
by every teacher in the United States to emphasize science and technology. It
was, in my opinion, this one event that led to the technological advances that
allow you to own a computer and, most likely, to be listening to me on one that
you're holding in your hand.
For me it was
the beginning of a love affair with space, science, and science fiction that has
lasted to this day. From 1957 on I've been glued to the radio and/or TV for
every significant space event from our sub-orbital flights to the X-Prize flight
of 3 months ago.
Eisenhower was
still president (of course) and the United States began it's long, governmental
mess called "integration" which, while much better today, 48 years later, still
is far less than complete. C'mon people, people are people no matter if they're
"blue" (or so I actually said when I was 4)
In 1957, music
changed again radically with the introduction of the "rock and roll group" best
exemplified by Buddy Holly and the Crickets. . . Here's a clip from their 1957
mega hit "That'll Be the Day". . .
The top movie of
1957 was "The Ten Commandments" while the Academy Award went to "The Bridge On
The River Kwai" with that awesome song which I still love to this day.
The top fiction
book of 1957 was " By Love Possessed" by James Gould and in non-fiction "Kids
Say the Darndest Things!" by Art Linkletter (host of a popular television show)
On TV I was
watching Captain Kangaroo and Romper Room.
The most popular
shows were:
1. Gunsmoke
(CBS)
2. The Danny Thomas Show (CBS)
3. Tales of Wells Fargo (NBC)
4. Have Gun Will Travel (CBS)
5. I've Got A Secret (CBS)
6. The Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp (ABC)
7. General Electric Theater (CBS)
8. The Restless Gun (NBC)
9. December Bride (CBS)
10. You Bet Your Life (NBC)
In addition,
radio drama was still big, here's a clip from a popular science fiction show of
the time, X Minus One
Finally, in computing some major advancements some of which would effect me
directly in the years to come:
Digital
Equipment Corporation (DEC) is founded by Ken Olsen and Harlan Anderson.
Starting out with laboratory and scientific modules. Their first computer the
PDP 1 (Programmed Data Processor) will be released in 1960 and will get many
successful descendants. DEC will be one of the most important computer producers
of the world (and the producer of the first "real" computer I ever got to
actually "touch" and program)
My father, Bob
Lehman, started fixing "real" computers. Previously he was responsible for what
were called "tabulating machines" which were relay and plugboard-programmed
accumulators.
Jack Kilby and
Robert Noyce invent the SILICON WAFER
Control Data
Corporation is founded by William C. Morris and a group of engineers (amongst
whom Seymour Cray) from Sperry Rand
A first attempt
to immitate human intelligence in a simulacrum is attempted by Herbert. A.
Simon, Allen Newell & J.C. Shaw. They devise a logic theory machine (first proof
by machine) the General Problem Solver (GPS). The method for testing the theory
involves developing a computer simulation and then comparing the results of the
simulation with human behavior in a given task.
_____________________________________________________________________________
And so, we come
to the end of the fifth program in this series.
If you like it,
hate it, want to make a comment you can contact me by email at
mike-at-inmikeslife-dot-org.
You can leave a
voice mail if you'd like to make an audio comment by calling my evoice number at
1-832-218-3161.
And that's how I
remember 1957 …In Mike's Life
8:49:59 AM 
|
