Home Computing: 1965
Given that the smallest computer available in the 1960s had a price tag of $18,000 ($140,000 in today's dollars), required a small cargo van to move, and had RAM measured in 12-bit word lengths, how did people code and game at home in the Age of Aquarius? The answer is that they used mechanical and basic electronic equivalents of the same Boolean logic and binary systems behind the operations of even today's most sophisticated computers. This program will explore several of the most popular coding tools and gaming systems of the period, provide generous hands-on exploration time with them, and give a healthy dose of the history (or nostalgia) behind the modern computer revolution. Space and supplies are limited; registration preferred. Appropriate for tweens and older; adult helpers required for children ages 10 and under.