Some numbers mean things, and some numbers do things. Making--
and breaking--that distinction was central to renowned
mathematician John von Neumannâs implementation of Alan Turingâs
Universal Machine in 1945-56. In this lecture, you will learn
about the unlikeliest place on earth to build such a device and
how this vital 5-kilobyte step in the digital revolution was
sparked by a collision of ideas between mathematicians and
engineers. Combining soldering guns with science, Von Neumann
and his Electronic Computing Instrument tackled previously
intractable problems ranging from thermonuclear explosions,
stellar evolution, and long-range weather forecasting to
cellular automata, network optimization, and the origins of
life. In this highly visual and informative presentation, George
Dyson will impart the full story - from the people to their
processors - and where our digital directions through history
may lead us next.