Forgotten women who shaped the foundations of technology

Computer was originally a job title, not a machine.

Laura explains how early human computers performed parallel mathematical computations for astronomy teams long before modern electronic processors existed.

When Computer Was a Human Job Description

Annie Jump Cannon revolutionized astronomy by inventing the stellar classification system still used today, cataloging stars at a pace of one every three seconds. The speaker jokes about what anyone else could possibly finish in three seconds.

Classifying Stars in Three Seconds Flat

Why early tech companies hired mostly women.

Between the 1940s and 1970s, tech companies heavily recruited women because programming was a new field requiring logic tests rather than formal degrees. The surge was driven by labor shortages, career barriers elsewhere, and lower labor costs.

Why Early Tech Hired Women as Coders

The first computer programmers were belittled as mere operators

The six female operators of the ENIAC did the actual programming by manually configuring switches and wires. Despite their critical engineering work, their contributions were downplayed because society undervalued software at the time.

The Hidden History of the First ENIAC Programmers

Computer is too important to be left to men

Computing pioneer Karen Spärck Jones mentored generations of scientists and left behind an iconic slogan challenging male dominance in programming.

The Boldest Slogan in Computing History

You do not need to be great at math to code

The speaker dismantles the belief that you must be gifted at math to study computer science, noting how male peers jump into programming without doubting their qualifications.

You Do Not Need to Be a Math Genius to Code

Finding a role model gave me permission to be heard.

The speaker admits that despite working as a qualified programmer, she felt afraid to speak up until discovering a female scientist whose visibility gave her permission to own her voice.

Overcoming Fear in Tech Through Representation

Narrate, encourage, and propagate women in tech history.

The speaker closes her talk by urging the audience to tell the stories of forgotten women in technology to their daughters and communities, expanding what young girls believe is possible.

The Simple Challenge to Inspire Young Girls in Tech

[05:22] When Computer Was a Human Job Description
[10:38] Classifying Stars in Three Seconds Flat
[12:39] Why Early Tech Hired Women as Coders
[17:28] The Hidden History of the First ENIAC Programmers
[34:22] The Boldest Slogan in Computing History
[40:15] You Do Not Need to Be a Math Genius to Code
[43:26] Overcoming Fear in Tech Through Representation
[44:31] The Simple Challenge to Inspire Young Girls in Tech

Forgotten women who shaped the foundations of technology

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