Love Letter to the Computer

Explore the fascinating history and big ideas of computer science in this captivating 40-minute conference talk from GOTO Berlin 2019. Delve into the multidisciplinary perspective of storytelling, pedagogy, and science as Linda Liukas, author and co-founder of Rails Girls, pays homage to the humans and hardware that made modern computing possible. Journey through time, from jacquard loom makers with punch cards to inventors obsessed with cogs and steam, and discover how electrical engineers combined laws of circuits with eccentric English mathematical logic. Gain insights into how philosophers, material scientists, artists, dreamers, and tinkerers contributed to building the foundation of today's technology. Learn about approaching technology from diverse angles and understand how these narratives can change the possibilities that technology offers. This talk covers topics such as wonder, algorithms, Boolean logic, the future of computing, and the relationship between creativity and computers, providing a unique perspective on the evolution and potential of computational thinking.