LIRC@SFIT

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Today: June 23 - Birthday of Alan Turing – Father of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence

Alan Turing - Father of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence

Alan Turing was a brilliant British mathematician who took a leading role in breaking Nazi ciphers during WWII. In his seminal 1936 paper, he proved that there cannot exist any universal algorithmic method of determining truth in mathematics, and that mathematics will always contain undecidable propositions. His work is widely acknowledged as foundational research of computer science and artificial intelligence.

Early Life

English scientist Alan Turing was born Alan Mathison Turing on June 23, 1912, in Maida Vale, London, England. At a young age, he displayed signs of high intelligence, which some of his teachers recognized, but did not necessarily respect. When Turing attended the well-known independent Sherborne School at the age of 13, he became particularly interested in math and science.

After Sherborne, Turing enrolled at King's College (University of Cambridge) in Cambridge, England, studying there from 1931 to 1934. As a result of his dissertation, in which he proved the central limit theorem, Turing was elected a fellow at the school upon his graduation.

In 1936, Turing delivered a paper, "On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem," in which he presented the notion of a universal machine (later called the “Universal Turing Machine," and then the "Turing machine") capable of computing anything that is computable: It is considered the precursor to the modern computer.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alan-Turing

https://www.biography.com/scientist/alan-turing

Today: June 23 - Birthday of Dr. Howard T. Engstrom – Promoter of Digital Computer

Dr. Howard T. Engstrom

Birthday of Dr. Howard T. Engstrom – Promoter of Digital Computer

American computer designer who promoted the first commercially available digital computer, the Univac. As a Yale professor he had written a paper on the mathematical basis for cryptanalysis techniques. During WW II he was called to the Navy and placed in command of the OP-20-G automated machines "Research Section" for message decryption. After the war, he was a co-founder of Engineering Research Associates, a private company to work on electronic digital circuit technology for the Navy on a contract basis, with former Navy researchers. ERA delivered its first Atlas computer to the National Security Agency in Dec 1950. As vice president for research, Engstrom took the initiative to make a commercial version, renamed Univac.

Source: https://todayinsci.com/6/6_23.htm

Monday, June 22, 2020

Today: 22 June Birthday of Kamal Shedge - Typographer

In the history of Devnagari Typography, the contribution in the area of ‘Typographic Design’, made by Shri Kamal Shedge is simply unparallel. In his long professional span of over three and half decades, (starting from early 60s), Shri Shedge has made people look at the letters as a ‘beautiful’ experience. Shedge, who was not a student of an art school, started his career as an artist with ‘Maharashtra Times’, which was started around that time, and later became one of the leading daily in Marathi; of Times group. Though he worked mainly with ‘Maharashtra Times’ he lent his golden touch to other publications like ‘Madhuri’ of the Times group.

Sources:

http://aksharaya.org/event/aksharsanvad-an-interview-with-kamal-shedge/

http://wetheartist.blogspot.com/2009/07/kamal-shedge-name-i-only-knew-by-his.html

Image Source: https://www.discogs.com/artist/2086896-Kamal-Shedge

http://wetheartist.blogspot.com/…/kamal-shedge-name-i-only-…

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php…

Today: 22 June Birthday of Dan Brown – Author of the books – The Da Vinci Code, Digital Fortress, The Lost Symbol, Inferno, Deception Point, Angels and Demons.

Dan Gerhard Brown was born on June 22, 1964, in Exeter, New Hampshire. He has a younger sister, Valerie (born 1968) and brother, Gregory (born 1974). Brown attended Exeter's public schools until the ninth grade. He grew up on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy, where his father, Richard G. Brown, was a teacher of mathematics and wrote textbooks from 1968 until his retirement in 1997. His mother, Constance (née Gerhard), trained as a church organist and student of sacred music.

Brown's interest in secrets and puzzles stems from their presence in his household as a child, where codes and ciphers were the linchpin tying together the mathematics, music, and languages in which his parents worked. The young Brown spent hours working out anagrams and crossword puzzles, and he and his siblings participated in elaborate treasure hunts devised by their father on birthdays and holidays. On Christmas, for example, Brown and his siblings did not find gifts under the tree, but followed a treasure map with codes and clues throughout their house and even around town to find the gifts. Brown's relationship with his father inspired that of Sophie Neveu and Jacques Saunière in The Da Vinci Code, and Chapter 23 of that novel was inspired by one of his childhood treasure hunts.

After graduating from Phillips Exeter, Brown attended Amherst College, where he was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity. He played squash, sang in the Amherst Glee Club, and was a writing student of visiting novelist Alan Lelchuk. Brown spent the 1985 school year abroad in Seville, Spain, where he was enrolled in an art history course at the University of Seville. Brown graduated from Amherst in 1986.

Sources:

1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Brown

Today: 22 June: Birthday of Shriram Bhikaji Velankar – who introduced the PIN Code System in India.

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Brief history

The PIN Code system was introduced in India by Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, who had served as an additional secretary in the Union ministry of communications. Its implementation began from August 15, 1972, with the objective of simplifying the sorting of mails, speeding up mail transmission and delivery.

The need for such a system was realised due to the confusion resulting from the duplication of names of various places across the country, the use of multiple languages to write addresses, and different ways in which the name of a place could be spelt. For example, in Tamil Nadu, names like Mettur and Aathur are very common. PIN codes help postmen deliver the letters to right people.

Mr. Shriram Bhikaji Velankar was a Sanskrit Pandit and a strong practitioner of Pali language. He expired on 1^st April 1999.

Sources:
1) https://www.hindustantimes.com/…/story-1yTxGBZFZ64QqlSwZ0ZO…
2) https://twitter.com/vinay1011/status/613738417378037764