It’s the end of the first half of the trip, marked by our moving out of the homestays and into London! I’m writing this now in a fancy four-star hotel (bless the OCS office) and I’m ready to explore London.
Before all this, we kicked off the week with a formal debate: what was the first computer?
Our group was split into pairs and randomly assigned contenders for the first computer– though some more likely than others. Ephraim and I, for instance, were assigned the unprogrammable Atanasoff-Berry computer: ranked last by our classmates in the preliminary vote.
The debate was intense, and stakes were high– a free dinner. Insults were thrown, shirts were removed, and one presentation was made up solely of disparaging memes.
Still, two computers rose to the top: The Harvard Mark I, the clear frontrunner, and the Manchester Baby: built four years later, and not significantly more advanced. While the outcome seemed clear, Daniel and Kate were strong enough debaters to keep the Manchester Baby afloat.
While the Harvard Mark I won, the margin was slim– seven votes against six. So now we have a definitive answer: the Harvard Mark I was the first computer.
Maybe.
We ended the week with a formal dinner with the European Studies program at Hughes Hall. We were announced via gong and ate a three-course meal among Cambridge grads– definitely a nerve-wracking experience, but I’m looking forward to the next one!
The weeks are flying by, so I’m ready to have a break to explore: hello London, Portsmouth, Normandy! (Though I’ll admit, I’m missing Cambridge already!)