A Grasshopper in Tall Grass

Don’t know who Klára Dán von Neumann was? You’re not alone.

The first modern-style code executed on a computer was written in the 1940s by a woman named Klára Dán von Neumann–or Klári to her family and friends. And the historic program she wrote was used to optimize nuclear weapons. This season, we dive into this fascinating moment in postwar America through Klári’s work. We explore the evolution of early computers, the vital role women played in early programming, and the inescapable connection between computing and war.

This podcast is distributed by PRX and published in partnership with Scientific American. Season 2 art is by Brooke McCormick.

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