Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
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Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
1–10 of 16 posts
Re: Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
#2"He recalled in 2011 that he once asked students in an engineering class if they understood how the feedback mechanism in a toilet’s water tank maintained the water level.
“I asked them, ‘How many of you have ever taken the lid off a toilet tank to see how it works?’” he recalled. “None of them had. How do you get to M.I.T. without having ever looked inside a toilet tank?”"
This is really surprising. Then again, this is not the first time I've glimpsed the possibility that attendnce at a prestigious school is a very noisy signal.
Re: Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
#3If you have not stumbled upon DYNAMO before it is quentesential forrester https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DYNAMO_(programming_language...
Re: Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
#4I learned recently that Will Wright was apparently influenced by Forrester and it lead to the creation of SimCity. Here a cool article about it. http://www.filfre.net/2016/06/simcity-part-1-will-wrights-ci...
Re: Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
#5"He recalled in 2011 that he once asked students in an engineering class if they understood how the feedback mechanism in a toilet’s water tank maintained the water level. “I asked them, ‘How many of you have ever taken the lid off a toilet tank to see how it works?’” he recalled. “None of them had. How do you get to M.I.T. without having ever looked inside a toilet tank?”" This is really surprising. Then again, this…
There was a generation of engineering professors at MIT (and I'm sure elsewhere) like Forrester, Doc Edgerton, Doc Draper, etc. who represented a sort of hands on experimentation who I suspect would not have become faculty in a later era. Which I consider rather unfortunate.
Re: Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
#6A great book by one of his proteges, Donella Meadows: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows/dp...
Re: Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
#7more memorably (ha ha you'll see what I did there) for the majority of people here, Jay Forrester invented core memory which revolutionized computers of that generation. Prior to core, memory schemes were bizarre and klugy, like storing information on the screen of a cathode ray tube, detectable when you scan across it again; or sonic vibrations in mercury which you wait to emerge from the other end.
Primary memory is still called core by old timers.
Re: Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
#8A great book by one of his proteges, Donella Meadows: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows/dp...
This book changed my life. After reading this, I had an insatiable need to learn more about systems and dynamic systems interactions - a passion that led me to getting my macroeconomics degree today.
Re: Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
#9"He recalled in 2011 that he once asked students in an engineering class if they understood how the feedback mechanism in a toilet’s water tank maintained the water level. “I asked them, ‘How many of you have ever taken the lid off a toilet tank to see how it works?’” he recalled. “None of them had. How do you get to M.I.T. without having ever looked inside a toilet tank?”" This is really surprising. Then again, this…
There was a generation of engineering professors at MIT (and I'm sure elsewhere) like Forrester, Doc Edgerton, Doc Draper, etc. who represented a sort of hands on experimentation who I suspect would not have become faculty in a later era. Which I consider rather unfortunate.
I remember that! I had the pleasure of being asked that very question by Professor Forrester around 1990. (though I could answer in the affirmative).
Re: Jay W. Forrester, a pioneer in computer models, has died
#10more memorably (ha ha you'll see what I did there) for the majority of people here, Jay Forrester invented core memory which revolutionized computers of that generation. Prior to core, memory schemes were bizarre and klugy, like storing information on the screen of a cathode ray tube, detectable when you scan across it again; or sonic vibrations in mercury which you wait to emerge from the other end. Primary memory i…
>Primary memory is still called core by old timers.
Plus we still call them core dumps and have .core files