Dates and Topics

Question 1

Terminology

Answer 1

Stand Alone Computer:
A computer that works on its own and which is not networked/connected to one or more other computers. There are no cords or wires coming from this stand-alone computer.
Every Computer Network needs “physical” things to operate properly: a switch, a router, plugs, cables, and power. There are basically two kinds of networks: LAN (your home) and WAN (the internet which connects billions of devices all over the world)

Question 2

Internet

Answer 2

The internet represents the huge network we all connect to, however, we first must connect to a LAN, local area network (where we are working from, initially)

Question 3

Space Race

Answer 3

The battle between two super powers at that time, (Russia (Soviet Union)) and the United States to conquer the unknown arena known as space to prove “superiority’”

Question 4

President Eisenhower

Answer 4

The scenario we feared was: if just one missile was launched from Russia, it could destroy the whole network of telephone lines in the United States and; therefore destroy our internal communication capabilities. At that time, telephones were an advanced form of communication.

As you can reason out: communication is necessary for a country to survive and advance.

As a result of Sputnik’s launch, Americans began to think more seriously about science and technology. Our Federal Government, under the direction of President Eisenhower, budgeted for departments to be created for space exploration: NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ARPA (Department of Defense: Advanced Research Projects Agency.)

Question 5

Role of Computers for Space Launches

Answer 5

As you can imagine, computers back in the 50s and late 60s played a critical role in successful launches into Earth’s orbit and to the moon.

The computations that computers had to do were:

ALGEBRA

TRIGONOMETRY
GEOMETRY
MOTION AND FORCES
PHYSICAL SCIENCES

CALCULUS

Question 6

July 20, 1969

Answer 6

On July 20, 1969, 12 years after Russia launched Sputnik, the United States landed a man on the moon. This flight was Apollo 11.
-In Greek Mythology, Apollo means “god of sunlight.”