Research Computing Services Blog

Meet Rosie ResPlaty

Hi, I’m Rosie and I’m a platypus. I’m an all-round-awesome research babe who can out-code you any day of the week, in any given language. I’m also the official mascot for the Women of ResBaz. I could talk about myself all day, but instead I’m going to tell you a couple of stories about other amazing coders.

Fun Facts

The first mechanical computer was programmed by a woman
The first electrical computer was programmed by a team of six women
The first programming compiler was invented by a woman

Ok, story time.

1. Ada Lovelace

The first mechanical computer was called The Analytical Engine. It was designed (not built) in 1837 by a mathematician, Charles Babbage. You might know him as “the father of the computer”. His design was a true computer because it could do anything you told it to, if you told it in a sufficiently logical way. All well and good, but pure logic doesn’t come naturally to humans, which can make computer communication frustrating (don’t tell me you’ve never threatened or committed an act of violence towards a computer).

Anyway the point is, it was a woman who programmed the first ever computer. Ada Lovelace (also a mathematician) wrote a detailed piece of code that could run on the Analytical Engine. It was probably the first ever computer algorithm. So I reckon if Babbage gets to be father of the computer, we should call Ada the “countess of code”. (In the interest of full disclosure – it’s been said that Ada didn’t really write the code, and that Babbage just credited her with it, because poor thing she was manic depressive. Funny how so many smart/strong women are posthumously diagnosed with mental disorders.)

2. The ENIAC Programmers

The Electrical Numerical Integrator and Computer was the first ever electrical computer to be built. But it was operational during WWII so unfortunately there weren’t that many men around to make it work. Instead a team of women - Fran Bilas, Betty Jennings, Ruth Lichterman, Kay McNulty, Betty Snyder, and Marlyn Wescoff - took on the job. They got right in there and learned to program the mighty ENIAC. I mean they really did get right in there – debugging in those days involved crawling inside your computer and fiddling with switches and cables. These six women were not only learning to code, they were inventing the concept of “coding”. Their story may never have come to light if it weren’t for a committed programming student who documented their achievements in the ENIAC Programmers Project. I highly recommend watching the film (’The Computers’) if you want to learn more.

3. Grace Hopper

Grace Hopper’s name is legendary in the programming world. She was heavily involved in the programming of early, pre-ENIAC computers. She’s best known for leading the team who developed the first compiler program. A compiler program translates between languages. It converts all your lovely code into computer-speak so it actually works. This concept revolutionized programming. Check out this short, aptly named video The Queen of Code for more. Grace also invented the word debugging, when she fixed a programming error by removing an insect from the computer (unfortunately for dad-jokers everywhere, it was not a Grass Hopper but a moth).

So next time someone tells you coding is not for women, kindly remind them that we invented it.