In this episode of Computer Saga, the focus is on understanding transistors and their revolutionary impact on computing. The narrative begins with the political and technological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, highlighting the space race and the importance of computers in calculating trajectories for space exploration and military applications.
The limitations of valve-based computers, which were large and prone to overheating, are discussed. The invention of the transistor at Bell Labs is credited with miniaturizing and improving the reliability of computers. The episode explains how semiconductors work, introduces the concept of doping silicon with other elements to create conductive materials, and demonstrates how this leads to the creation of diodes and transistors.
The significance of transistors is emphasized by their role in enabling smaller, more efficient computers that could fit inside aircraft and spacecraft, culminating in the development of transistorized onboard computers for space missions like Apollo.
Overall, the episode conveys the transformative effect of transistors on technology and their contribution to advancing human capabilities in space exploration and beyond.
1. The United States and the Soviet Union were in a technological dispute during the Cold War.
2. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite in history.
3. The Cold War led to a space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
4. Computers were fundamental in calculating orbits and trajectories during the space race.
5. At that time, computers used valves, which were big, occupied a lot of space, and got hot.
6. The transistor was invented by three researchers at Bell Labs in 1947.
7. The invention of the transistor won a Nobel Prize for the inventors.
8. Bell Labs was a company focused on developing technologies for communication.
9. Researchers at Bell Labs discovered several important technologies, including the first laser beam, solar panel, and long-distance TV transmission.
10. Semiconductors can be conductors or insulators depending on the temperature.
11. Silicon is a semiconductor material that can be doped with other elements to modify its properties.
12. The diode is an electronic component that only allows electric current to pass in one direction.
13. The transistor is an electronic component that has three terminals and can control the flow of electric current.
14. The first transistorized computer was created by Bell Labs in 1954.
15. The first transistorized computer was called the Digital Trade Transistor and had 684 transistors.
16. The Digital Trade Transistor could perform a million logical operations per second.
17. Transistors allowed the creation of smaller computers that could fit inside a bomber plane.
18. Transistors were used in onboard computers in spaceships, including the Gemini capsule.