Creola Katherine Johnson (née Coleman; August 26, 1918 – February 24, 2020) was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights.[1][2] During her 33-year career at NASA and its predecessor, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computers to perform the tasks. The space agency noted her “historical role as one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist”.
When we say the word calculator today, we are referring to a machine or computer……but less than 50 years ago, the word “calculator” referred to a person.
In the 1950’s and 60’s computers existed but they were very hard to program. As crazy as it may sound, it was quicker for a calculator (person) like Katherine to do a calculation than a computer. But remember, computers back then weren’t nearly as powerful as today’s devices. The ipad you use has more “computing power” than the onboard computer used for the 1969 moon landing.
The first handheld calculator was manufactured in 1972 by “Texas Instruments”, These machines were very, very expensive. They cost around $1,500 (in today’s money).
So, most people still calculated by hand or with slide rules (middle picture below). The first usable scientific coding language was called FORTRAN and was in general use by the mid 70s. You had to use “punch cards” to run programs and input data.
A calculator like Katherine would probably have memorized her tables up to a very large number. If you asked her what 39 x 23 was, she would have probably told you instantly 897. Nowadays, there are no human calculators like Katherine……. since the skill is no longer needed. And I seriously doubt that anyone today could perform those calculations by hand as quickly as Katherine did.
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