Jeff Shrager's repository introduces "executable archaeology" — the practice of recovering, transcribing, and running the original historical source of early computing programs so that the surviving artifact itself, rather than a modern rewrite, can serve as experimental evidence. The main project here is an IPL-V reimplementation of Victor Yngve's 1959–61 MIT sentence generator, run under Herbert A. Simon's account on 25 June 1962, whose surviving printout preserves the program, its phrase-structure grammar, execution traces, and handwritten corrections by Simon and his daughter Katherine.
- The repository also points to separate repos reconstructing the Logic Theorist in two historically distinct forms (LT1 in IPL-I and LT5 in IPL-V) and a full CTSS/IBM 7094 reanimation of Weizenbaum's original ELIZA
- A 2026 arXiv paper by Shrager and a 2025 IEEE Annals paper by Lane et al. provide the formal background
- Six stated principles govern the work, including distinguishing original behavior from behavior introduced by the reconstruction
- The repository also points to separate repos reconstructing the Logic Theorist in two historically distinct forms (LT1 in IPL-I and LT5 in IPL-V) and a full CTSS/IBM 7094 reanimation of Weizenbaum's original ELIZA
- A 2026 arXiv paper by Shrager and a 2025 IEEE Annals paper by Lane et al. provide the formal background
- Six stated principles govern the work, including distinguishing original behavior from behavior introduced by the reconstruction
Pascal Costanza traces the historical evolution of programming advice, starting from Oliver Selfridge's 1958 concept of "demons" to its implementation in various Lisp systems like PILOT, Flavors, and LOOPS. This lineage eventually led to the development of the Common Lisp Object System (CLOS) and influenced modern paradigms such as Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) and Context-oriented Programming.
- The concept originated with Oliver Selfridge's "demons" which recognize patterns in events.
- Howard Cannon's Flavors introduced methods based on macros, acting as a precursor to around methods.
- CommonLoops was an essential component alongside Flavors that helped form the basis of CLOS.
- Aspect-oriented programming (AOP) evolved from metaobject protocols by moving toward pointcuts and compile-time approaches.
- The concept originated with Oliver Selfridge's "demons" which recognize patterns in events.
- Howard Cannon's Flavors introduced methods based on macros, acting as a precursor to around methods.
- CommonLoops was an essential component alongside Flavors that helped form the basis of CLOS.
- Aspect-oriented programming (AOP) evolved from metaobject protocols by moving toward pointcuts and compile-time approaches.
The Bitter Lesson (2919) by Rich Sutton explores a recurring pattern in the history of AI research, arguing that general methods leveraging massive computation are ultimately more effective than those relying on human-encoded domain knowledge. While incorporating human intuition can provide short-term gains, long-term breakthroughs are consistently driven by scaling computational power through search and learning as described by Moore's Law.
Key observations include:
- The historical shift in chess, Go, speech recognition, and computer vision from rule-based or human-centric models toward massive computation.
- The tendency for researchers to favor methods that reflect human understanding, which often plateaus compared to scalable learning processes.
- The necessity of developing meta-methods capable of discovering complex patterns rather than hardcoding existing human perceptions into agents.
Key observations include:
- The historical shift in chess, Go, speech recognition, and computer vision from rule-based or human-centric models toward massive computation.
- The tendency for researchers to favor methods that reflect human understanding, which often plateaus compared to scalable learning processes.
- The necessity of developing meta-methods capable of discovering complex patterns rather than hardcoding existing human perceptions into agents.
The Computer History Museum in Mountain View has received approximately $14 million from Mad Scientists Anonymous to renovate its computer graphics gallery and preserve the collection of Autodesk co-founder John W. Walker. The funds will support the creation of the John and Roxie Walker Computer Graphics, Music & Art Gallery, scheduled to open in spring 2027. This project aims to showcase the evolution of digital design through storytelling and projection mapping while making Walker’s historical documents available for research via museum archives and a digital portal.
- Renovation of the computer graphics gallery
- Preservation and digitization of John W. Walker's professional collection
- Establishment of an endowment to support future rotating exhibitions
- Renovation of the computer graphics gallery
- Preservation and digitization of John W. Walker's professional collection
- Establishment of an endowment to support future rotating exhibitions
This discussion focuses on the technical efforts to emulate and potentially hardware-reimplement Marvin Minsky’s 2500 computer. Users share resources including a GitHub emulator (`simh/tt2500`) capable of running SITS (Small Incompatible Timesharing System), as well as schematics and SUDS drawings that have been cleared for public viewing. The conversation explores the complexities of recreating the hardware, such as the difficult vector display components, and notes how modern simulation software like "Digital" can be used to model the original design using its existing component libraries.
**Facts Uncovered:**
* **Emulator Availability:** A `simh/tt2500` emulator is available on GitHub for running SITS (Small Incompatible Timesharing System).
* **Documentation:** Schematics and SUDS drawings have been made available to the public following permission requests.
* **Hardware Challenges:** Replicating the vector display is identified as one of the most complicated aspects of a hardware implementation.
* **Obscure Components:** Original parts mentioned include 2507 flip-flops (with shared register enable), an AOI gate (7464), and six-bit 3-state buffer chips.
* **Simulation Tools:** "Digital," a Java-based simulator, is being used to assist in reimplementing the design's components.
**Facts Uncovered:**
* **Emulator Availability:** A `simh/tt2500` emulator is available on GitHub for running SITS (Small Incompatible Timesharing System).
* **Documentation:** Schematics and SUDS drawings have been made available to the public following permission requests.
* **Hardware Challenges:** Replicating the vector display is identified as one of the most complicated aspects of a hardware implementation.
* **Obscure Components:** Original parts mentioned include 2507 flip-flops (with shared register enable), an AOI gate (7464), and six-bit 3-state buffer chips.
* **Simulation Tools:** "Digital," a Java-based simulator, is being used to assist in reimplementing the design's components.
ITS (Incompatible Timesharing System) was a timesharing system developed at MIT in 1967, initially for the PDP-6 and later primarily on PDP-10 computers, notable for its lack of security features like passwords. The SDF ITS is currently accessible at https://hactrn.org/ via a KA10 emulator and offers tutorials for basic use and exploration of classic programs. Users are encouraged to log in, create a directory, and explore programs like Zork, Emacs, Maclisp, and C through provided hints and documentation.
A reference manual for the extensible, customizable, self-documenting real-time display editor. This manual corresponds to EMACS version 162.
Report of investigations of computing/video setting for unstructured collaborative work among people separated by space and time.
https://gordonbell.azurewebsites.net/Computer_Structures__Readings_and_Examples/contents.html
Proc. WJCC, pp. 119-128, 1958.
Chapter 30
A command structure for complex information processing1
J. C. Shaw / A. Newell / H. A. Simon / T. O. Ellis
The general-purpose digital computer, by virtue of its large capacity and general-purpose nature, has opened the possibility of research into the nature of complex mechanisms per se. The challenge is obvious: humans carry out information processing of a complexity that is truly baffling. Given the urge to understand either how humans do it, or alternatively, what kinds of mechanisms might accomplish the same tasks, the computer is turned to as a basic research tool. The varieties of complex information processing will be understood when they can be synthesized: when mechanisms can be created that perform the same processes.
Proc. WJCC, pp. 119-128, 1958.
Chapter 30
A command structure for complex information processing1
J. C. Shaw / A. Newell / H. A. Simon / T. O. Ellis
The general-purpose digital computer, by virtue of its large capacity and general-purpose nature, has opened the possibility of research into the nature of complex mechanisms per se. The challenge is obvious: humans carry out information processing of a complexity that is truly baffling. Given the urge to understand either how humans do it, or alternatively, what kinds of mechanisms might accomplish the same tasks, the computer is turned to as a basic research tool. The varieties of complex information processing will be understood when they can be synthesized: when mechanisms can be created that perform the same processes.
The 'Books' page of FelsenSigns presents a book titled 'Me and My Big Ideas – Counterculture, Social Media, and the Future'. The book chronicles the author's journey through the evolution of social media from the 1960s to the 1980s, exploring its origins, politics, and the need for better information exchange. The author hopes to educate readers on how social media was structured for corporate benefit and how it can be reimagined for societal good.
