Computer is an electronic computing machine used for high-speed calculations. It can perform numerical calculations, logical calculations, and has storage and memory functions.
In the 20th century computers transformed from large, bulky data-processing machines into lightweight tools that became an essential part of every major industry. The real computing revolution is not about bytes, but about how all people, regardless of geography or political opinion, can share information and learn from each other.
When it comes to "the world's recognized first electronic digital computer", most people think of it as the "ENIAC" that was launched in 1946. It was mainly used to calculate ballistics. Made by the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, it is huge, covering an area of ??more than 170 square meters, weighing about 30 tons, and consuming nearly 150 kilowatts of electricity. Obviously, such computers are very expensive and inconvenient to use. This statement is commonly used in basic computer textbooks. In fact, according to the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973, the earliest electronic digital computer should be John Atanasoff, associate professor of the Department of Physics at Iowa State University in the United States, and his graduate students. ABC (Atanasoff-Berry-Computer) built by assistant Clifford E. Berry (1918-1963) in October 1939. The reason for this misunderstanding is that a person named Moakley in the "ENIAC" research team plagiarized the research results of John Atanasoff in 1941 and applied for a patent in 1946. For various reasons, this mistake was not reversed until 1973. (For specific information, please refer to Baidu Encyclopedia - "John Atanasov" entry. I hope everyone will remember ABC and John Atanasov, and hope that future textbooks can correct this error). Later, in order to commend and commemorate John Atanasoff's great contributions in the field of computers, in 1990, former U.S. President Bush awarded John Atanasoff the nation's highest technology award, the "National Science and Technology Award." Beginning in the 1970s, this is the latest stage of computer development.
By 1970, the "Clay 1", made of large-scale integrated circuits and very large-scale integrated circuits, brought computers into the fourth generation. The invention of very large-scale integrated circuits has enabled electronic computers to continue to be updated in the direction of miniaturization, miniaturization, low power consumption, intelligence, and systematization. In the 1990s, computers developed in the direction of "intelligence", creating computers that are similar to the human brain and can perform tasks such as thinking, learning, memory, and network communication. In 1793, the French Chape brothers set up a 230-kilometer-long carriage line between Paris and Lille to transmit information via relay. This is a communication system consisting of 16 signal towers. The signal operator uses ropes and pulleys to manipulate the different angles of the bracket to express relevant information. At that time, France and Austria were at war, and it took only an hour for the signaling system to reach Paris with news of the victory over Condé-sur-Ais from the Austrian army.
In the 20th century the telephone went from being something of limited use to being the core of advanced technology that forms the basis of modern lifestyles. Nearly instantaneous connections between friends, family, work, and country make possible communications that enhance lives, industries, and economies. In the 20th century, Carrier founded a company that remains one of the largest air conditioning companies in the world. But in the 20 years since the invention of air conditioning, it has been machines, not people, that have been enjoyed.
Until 1924, a mall in Detroit, where many people often fainted due to the sweltering heat, first installed three central air conditioners. This was a great success. The cool environment made people more willing to spend money. Since then, air conditioners have become a powerful tool for businesses to attract customers. The era of air conditioners serving people has officially arrived. As air conditioning and refrigeration systems became better and work and play were no longer subject to the weather, humans literally adapted their environment to their needs.
The Internet was conceived in the 1960s as a tool to connect universities and government research centers through a nationwide network that allowed various computers to exchange information and share resources. It is changing cultural patterns, business practices, consumer goods industries, and research and education efforts. Its possible future uses are only beginning to be reflected.
Additionally the greatest technological achievements include imaging technology, household appliances, health technology, petroleum technology, lasers and fiber optics, nuclear technology and high-performance materials. The fission and fusion reactions of atomic nuclei will produce and release energy far greater than that produced by mechanical energy, chemical energy, etc. The peaceful use of nuclear energy provides mankind with a safe, clean, and inexhaustible energy treasure house.
In 1942, the United States built the world's first atomic reactor and realized the artificially controlled chain nuclear fission reaction for the first time. The first atomic bomb was successfully detonated in 1945. In 1952, the first light nuclear fusion hydrogen bomb exploded successfully. In 1954, the Soviet Union built the world's first atomic power station. After the 1960s, nuclear power plants entered the practical stage and have become an important energy source, accounting for about 1/5 of the world's total power generation.
Nuclear technology is also widely used in agriculture, medical care, materials, archaeology and environmental protection. Mass production of radioactive isotopes began in the 1940s. In 1947, Billy invented the C14 dating method. In 1951, radioactive elements such as Co60 began to be used to treat cancer. Since the 1970s, computed tomography (CT) has been widely used in clinical practice. In the 1980s, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was initially developed. From 1903 to 1914, Tsiolkovsky proposed the theory of rocket-powered navigation, laying the foundation for astronautics. In 1919, Goddard proposed the mathematical principles of rocket flight and successfully launched the world's first liquid-fuel rocket in 1926. In 1942, Braun presided over the design and launch of the liquid military rocket, which became the blueprint for rocket development in various countries after World War II.
In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial earth satellite using an intercontinental missile rocket device, and the "space age" began. In 1961, the Soviet Union launched a manned spacecraft, and humans flew into space for the first time. In 1969, the American Apollo 11 spacecraft landed on the moon, leaving the first human footprints on the moon. In 1971, the Soviet Union built a space station, and mankind had an active base in space for the first time. In 1981, the United States successfully launched the space shuttle. From then on, humans could freely enter and exit space. Since the late 1950s, humans have begun to detect the moon, major planets in the solar system, and distant interplanetary space. So far, more than 100 space probes have been launched to reveal the formation and evolution of the universe, explore the origin of life and space The impact of the environment on human living environment.