Episode 91 - Whirlwind

Advent of Computing

Whirlwind represents a fascinating story of transition. The project started in the middle of the 1940s as an analog machine. As times changed it became a digital device. By 1951 it was perhaps the fastest computer in the world, filled to the brim with new approaches to design and new technology. It may have even been host to the first video game. Selected Sources: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD0896850.pdf - Report on MIT's storage tubes https://sci-hub.se/10.1109/MAHC.1983.10081 - An interview with Jay Forrester https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/45/2017/09/retro-hurst.pdf - Screenshots and info about the Bouncing Ball https://www.retrogamedeconstructionzone.com/2021/07/the-whirlwind-bouncing-ball-simulator.html - Play the Bouncing Ball Program for yourself!