(Commonwealth Union)_Back in the 19th century, when women weren’t pretty much involved in any scene, there was Ada Lovelace, a trailblazing woman who did not just involve herself in technology, but pioneered computer science, and proved to be an asset in the field. So much so that the coding language Ada is named after her.
It is very true that computers were not a thing until the early 1800s, and Charles Babbage is predominantly known as the father of computers, it was Ada Lovelace who translated one of his studies and identified that the analytical engine was a multi-purpose device. She concluded that the engine could be easily reprogrammed to perform different tasks. She said: “This one fact implies everything; and it is scarcely necessary to point out, for instance, that while the Difference Engine can merely tabulate, and is incapable of developing, the Analytical Engine can either tabulate or develop.”
She also came up with the concept of reusing parts of what we now call programs, simply by breaking down a calculation into different sub calculations. Most importantly though, Ada hatched the question, “can machines think?” and this has been a mystery which remains unsolved to date.
During Ada’s era, computers ceased to exist, so she is known to be associated with the very origin of computer science. Imagine the struggle associated with hacking into computers today, and imagine her doing it purposefully to imaginary computers before hacking was even a thing.
To this date, every second Tuesday in Microsoft is reserved for security updates, fondly nicknamed Patch Tuesday and the second Tuesday of October, each year commemorates Ada Lovelace and her contribution to the world of computer science. Her legacy lives on as an inspiration to women who seek to venture into new fields, break the stereotypes and change the world with their knowledge and skill.
