Name/Title
1950/12- Radio-Electronics, "Relays Do Simple Arithmetic Part III" by Edmund BerkeleyTags
Edmund C. Berkeley, Radio-ElectronicsDescription
Part III- Continuation from Oct 1950
The article “How an Electric Brain Works” by Edmund Berkeley, published from Nov 1950 to Jan 1951 of Radio-Electronics, delves into the operations of Simon, a relay-based electromechanical computer. Berkeley’s piece is part of a series that explains the principles of digital computing to a general audience. Simon, despite its simplicity and limited memory, was designed to demonstrate the concept of a digital computer and could perform basic arithmetic operations.
In this particular installment, Berkeley discusses how Simon, with its two bits of memory, can carry out division and convert decimal numbers to binary and vice versa. The article emphasizes the educational value of Simon, comparing it to simple chemical experiments that stimulate understanding and skill in the field of digital computing. Berkeley also speculates about the future of computing, suggesting that small computers could one day be as common in homes as refrigerators or radios, helping with tasks such as remembering facts, calculating taxes, and aiding in decision-making
