#TALK

Ada Lovelace and The Very First Computer Program

Steven Goodwin

We all know that Ada Lovelace is credited as the first computer programmer. But what did she write? What did it do? And how does it work? In this inspirational talk, developer, geek, and digital archaeologist, Steven Goodwin, breaks down the very first program ever written to explain what it does and how it works. He goes on to simulate it within a JavaScript version of Babbage's analytical engine, rewriting it piece-by-piece until it looks like modern code, and thereby demonstrate what features of current languages we now all take for granted. He finishes up with a discussion on the controversy surrounding her involvement in computing, aiming to answer the question once and for all - "Was she really the first programmer?"

Aliens

Steven Goodwin

Steven Goodwin (London, England) has been involved in computing, science, and technology from an early age, building his first synthesizer while still in his teens. As a systems architect he's designed and built global systems for Unilever, Playfish, and Third Space Learning using a wide range of languages and technologies. He's also highly experienced on the small scale, with work on the iPhone, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi, as well as running teams of between 1 and 30 people. His position as an industry thought leader in technology implementations includes being a mentor at ed-invent, a start-up consultant, and a futurist. He has given talks around the world on topics as diverse as home automation, HTML5, game development, and quantum superpositions.