Lunduke
News • Science & Tech
The story of the first "computer bug"... is a pile of lies.
A fun, endearing, delightful pile of lies.
August 28, 2023
post photo preview

Many of us have heard the story of “The First Computer Bug”. It goes something like this…

On September 9, 1947 — at 3:45pm — Grace Hopper recorded the “first actual case of a bug being found” in her logbook. The bug was a moth found between the relay contacts of the Harvard Mark II computer.

The story is a fantastic one. A bug. An actual bug causing a computer to misbehave.

The fact that this was found by Grace Hopper — who is an absolute legend in the world of computer programming — adds to the legendary status of this story. And this story has been repeated countless times as the origin for why we use the term “bug” when talking about errors and defects in computer software.

Here is a picture of the actual log book page. Note that the moth in question is actually taped onto the page. Which, I must say, is a pretty awesome way to handle a “bug report.”

Photo of the log book from 1947.

So that you can get a full appreciation for the computer we’re talking about here, this is what the console of the Harvard Mark II computer looked like. Note the teletypes to either side of the desk

The Console of the Harvard Mark II. Image courtesy of Gwen Bell.

See that cool control sitting in the middle of the table? Here’s a close up view of that beauty. Just because.

Photo courtesy Smithsonian.

And what about those relays where that moth was found? Well. Here is a picture of the bank of relays of the Harvard Mark II. This is where the moth was discovered.

Photo courtesy Smithsonian.

Petty cool right?

And a cool story! The origin of the “computer bug”! By Grace Hopper! Awesome!

A story so cool that it has been repeated (with ever so slight variations) in so many major publications. Everything from the New York Times to Newsweek has repeated this anecdote. Telling this story in computer publications is almost a sacred tradition at this point. Such as in the January, 1984 edition of BYTE (which has a truly fantastic magazine cover).

 

Note this retelling of the story references the Harvard Mark I instead of the Mark II. Technically both machines existed at this time. But it was likely the Mark II.

There’s just two problems with this story:

  1. This was not the origin of term “bug” being used for engineering — including computer software.

  2. And it was not likely discovered — or recorded — by Grace Hopper.

Seriously.

The two most critical parts of this story — a story repeated more times than almost any other throughout the computing world — are not true. At all.

Let’s start with the logbook.

The likelihood is… that this logbook was not actually Grace Hopper’s. The handwriting does not match Hopper’s — even the National Museum of American History considers this logbook page to not be written by Hopper. And the discovery of the moth in the relay was not Hopper’s discovery either.

Who wrote this logbook entry? That remains a bit of a mystery. One that I would very much like to solve. Considering the relatively small size of the team who worked on the Mark II, I’m hopeful to eventually get a definitive answer to this.

Now. Let’s address the other factual problem with this story…

This is not the first time that computer defects were referred to as “bugs”.

In fact, that was already common at this point — as it had become standard throughout many engineering fields for several decades.

In fact, here is a quote from Thomas Edison — dated March 3rd, 1878 — where he talks about finding a bug affecting his technology:

“You were partly correct, I did find a ‘bug’ in my apparatus, but it was not in the telephone proper. It was of the genus ‘callbellum.’ The insect appears to find conditions for its existence in all call apparatus of telephones” - Edison

Here is a scan of the entire letter from Edison:

In fact, even this is not the first time Edison, himself, used “bug” to talk about engineering defects.

A “bug” was a common issue in Quadruplex Telegraphs in the 1800s — specifically referring to “false signals”. In order to fix these “bugs”, Edison invented something called a “Bug Trap”. Which led to a series of trademark disputes well into the 1920s.

And, by this time, “bug” was quickly becoming a common term for any sort of engineering error or anomaly. As computer creation progressed during the 1940s, the terminology was both well understood and used by those early computer engineers and programmers.

Whoever wrote that famous 1947 log entry — “first actual case of a bug being found” — was making a joke. It was, indeed, the first time a physical, insect “bug” was recorded to be found inside a computer.

  • It was not, however, the first time a joke was made about finding a real “bug” in a work of engineering (that would go to Edison).

  • Nor was it the first time that a computer glitch would have been referred to as a “bug”.

  • Nor was it found or recorded by Grace Hopper.

This has become one of those stories which has been repeated so often — and blindly accepted as fact (in large part, I think, because we have a picture of the actual moth) — that it will continue to be be re-told, over and over again, and never questioned.

Even though it’s filled with falsehoods.

Still. A fun story, though.

community logo
Join the Lunduke Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
7
What else you may like…
Videos
Podcasts
Posts
Articles
November 19, 2024
The Pokemon Go Spying Conspiracy Theory? Yeah. It's Verified.

Pokemon Go using your phone camera to build a CIA-backed 3D Map AI system.

It sounds like an insane movie plot. But it's real.

In 2016, this was "Lunduke's crazy conspiracy theory about Pokemon Go being used to spy on everyone, backed by the CIA". Now, in 2024, Niantic Labs (the makers of Pokemon Go), proudly brags about using Pokemon Go to spy on you... and using that covertly obtained information to build a massive, 3D artificial intelligence mapping system of private spaces.

"We receive about 1 million fresh scans each week, each containing hundreds of discrete images."

In other words: Lunduke was right.

The CIA, NSA, and Pokémon Go:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/5756204/the-cia-nsa-and-pok-mon-go

Building a Large Geospatial Model to Achieve Spatial Intelligence:
https://nianticlabs.com/news/largegeospatialmodel

00:19:04
November 19, 2024
DOJ: Google Must Sell Off Chrome

And that's only one impact of Google being officially ruled a monopoly.

00:15:13
November 18, 2024
Mozilla's "Dreams" Do Not Include Firefox ... or Even Web Browsing

A survey about Mozilla's future doesn't mention Firefox... but it does have 8 gender options.

The "What Is Your Dream for Mozilla?" Survey: https://mozillafoundation.tfaforms.net/101

00:15:34
November 22, 2023
The futility of Ad-Blockers

Ads are filling the entirety of the Web -- websites, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. -- at an increasing rate. Prices for those ad placements are plummeting. Consumers are desperate to use ad-blockers to make the web palatable. Google (and others) are desperate to break and block ad-blockers. All of which results in... more ads and lower pay for creators.

It's a fascinatingly annoying cycle. And there's only one viable way out of it.

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links? Check here:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

The futility of Ad-Blockers
November 21, 2023
openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"

Those in power with openSUSE make it clear they will not allow me anywhere near anything related to the openSUSE project. Ever. For any reason.

Well, that settles that, then! Guess I won't be contributing to openSUSE! 🤣

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links?
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"
September 13, 2023
"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044

This episode is free for all to enjoy and share.

Be sure to subscribe here at Lunduke.Locals.com to get all shows & articles (including interviews with other amazing nerds).

"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044

I'm just going to leave this here: https://xkcd.com/129/

Has anyone else noticed how all the responses to comments on Jaguar's new ad reveal, are all obviously AI generated happy-talk nonsense?

20 hours ago

Braxman opens up about how he grew up in an authoritarian state. He understands how citizens are manipulated, and how important free speech is in every aspect of society.

Here, he explains how algorithms and social proof are used to convince us that having our devices track our every move and spy on us is actually good. It keeps us safe... and makes us easier to manipulate.

He talks about the importance of privacy, and why we should care.

This is partially marketing for his new Brax3 phone, and partially his story of why he hates surveillance.

Edit: I have purchased one of the Kompact phones off Kickstarter, and I await the Brax3 phone. I'll give each of them a try, and then see about passing them along for further review.

https://odysee.com/@RobBraxmanTech:6/mind:78

November 20, 2024
Lunduke's Quest - November 20, 2024
Read full Article
November 12, 2024
post photo preview
Last week at The Lunduke Journal (Nov 3 - Nov 9, 2024)
Gimp 3.0! NOTEPAD.EXE AI! Mozilla Layoffs!

There was some interesting news this week in the world of computing.

But the only one I can think about is NOTEPAD.EXE getting Artificial Intelligence.

I mean.  What the fart?!

The Shows

The Articles

Read full Article
November 09, 2024
post photo preview
Funny Programming Pictures Part LXIII
Now with 14% more Unicode jokes!

My favorite picture this week is the one thaNO CARRIER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals