Keyboard and Quill
Keyboard and Quill is a playful, narrative podcast exploring data and technology through time. Co-hosted by Silicon Valley database startup veterans, Tim Berglund and Rachel Pedreschi, and inspired by the soundscapes of NPR’s award-winning Radiolab, Keyboard and Quill is a lively look at how we went from the wheel to the smartphone–from the printing press to the complex data ecosystems powering our modern lives. Tim and Rachel combine their own research with interviews they've conducted with academics, technologists, co-founders, software engineers, and other Silicon Valley professionals. Season 1: March-May 2024.
Keyboard and Quill is produced by StarTree (founded by the original creators of Apache Pinot™), hosts of Real-Time Analytics Summit, and creators of Tim’s podcast for data professionals, “Real-Time Analytics with Tim Berglund.”
Keyboard and Quill
From Human Computation to Mainframes | Ep. 8
Ever wonder how we went from computation by hand to the complex and powerful computers, data centers, and cloud of today? In this episode of "Keyboard and Quill," hosts Tim Berglund and Rachel Pedreschi embark on part 1 (of 2) of a digital odyssey to trace the evolution of computing from its mechanical beginnings to the mainframes of the 1970s. We’ll explore historical milestones like Charles Babbage’s ambitious Difference Engine, through to the revolutionary advent of IBM’s mainframes, and the game-changing introduction of ARPANET and the early internet. Our journey doesn’t just look at hardware; it dives into the societal transformations driven by these technologies—how they’ve reshaped the way we work, communicate, and even think. Join us as we uncover how these technological leaps have fundamentally altered our digital landscape.
Keyboard and Quill is created and made possible by StarTree, hosts of the Real-Time Analytics Summit for data professionals. Get 30% off registration.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Rachel Pedreschi and Claritype
Link: https://www.claritype.com
Frank King
Link: https://computerhistory.org/blog/restoring-the-ibm-1401
Bill Inmon
Link: https://datavox.ai
Dr. Doron Swade
Book: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-history-of-computing-a-very-short-introduction-9780198831754
Coastal Kites for the music you heard in our interlude.
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Story by Tim Berglund and Rachel Pedreschi
Produced by Peter Furia, Noelle Gallagher, and Tim Berglund
Edited by Noelle Gallagher and Peter Furia
Original music and sound by Jeff Kite, keyboardist for The Voidz
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