vix.ing · top · new · best · stats · spec

Patrick Blackett: Physicist, Radical, and Chief Architect of the Manchester Computing Phenomenon

2007/07/01 by David P. Anderson · 1 citation
Computer Science · Engineering · #Computability, Logic, AI Algorithms #History of Computing Technologies #Cellular Automata and Applications #Staffing #History of computing #Biography #Management #Art history #Engineering #History #Library science #Operations research #Computer science #Economics

paper · doi:10.1109/mahc.2007.4338448

openalex publication_date 2007/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

The dominant discourse in the history of computing holds that the world's first stored-program digital electronic computer--the Manchester "Baby"--was developed under the sole leadership and direction of the Department of Electro-Technics. This biography, which arises out of a detailed re-examination of the historical evidence, suggests that the physicist P.M.S. Blackett was much more influential in the genesis, enabling, staffing, and funding of the project than has previously been recognized.

Cited by

Related