Swiss Clocks, Swiss Chocolate, the Alps—and Computing
By Lori Cameron
In computing circles, Heinz Rutishauser and Niklaus Wirth of Switzerland are well known for their contributions to the history of computing: Rutishauser developed the GQ-algorithm, and Wirth developed the Pascal programming language.
However, Herbert Bruderer of ETH (Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule) Zurich has found a treasure trove of scarcely known facts, unknown documents, and rare devices—chief of which is the program-controlled binary relay calculator, Zuse Z4—in the university’s main library archives.
Read more about his findings in the January—March 2017 issue of IEEE Annals of the History of Computing.
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About Lori Cameron
Lori Cameron is a Senior Writer for the IEEE Computer Society and currently writes regular features for Computer magazine, Computing Edge, and the Computing Now and Magazine Roundup websites. Contact her at l.cameron@computer.org. Follow her on LinkedIn.
