55 years ago, the ‘Mother of All Demos’ foresaw modern computing
“On Dec. 9, 1968, Oregon-born engineer and inventor Douglas Engelbart hosted a computer demonstration so groundbreaking it is known today as the “Mother of All Demos. [...] Early in his career, Engelbart decided that his life’s work would focus on solving humanity’s problems. He recognized that computers could not only help with that work, but also accelerate it. [...] He envisioned computers as communication tools that could help people learn, collaborate and tackle complex problems.”
Douglas Engelbart facts for kids
Douglas Engelbart facts for kids
“Early in his career he decided (1) he would focus his career on making the world a better place; (2) any serious effort [in this pursuit would require harnessing] the collective human intellect of all involved; (3)
if you could dramatically improve how we do that, you'd be boosting every effort on the planet to solve important problems – the sooner the better; (4) computers could be the vehicle for dramatically improving this capability.”
Related Articles: Computer mouse Facts for Kids | History of personal computers facts for kids | the Mother of All Demos | Keyboard facts for kids | Turing Award facts for kids |
Douglas Engelbart – Inventing the 21st Century
Douglas Engelbart - Inventing the 21st Century
In this Podcast, “we look back to the man who wanted to augment human intelligence to help us work together to solve the world's most complex problems, and in doing so invented the 21st Century. How do we get smart enough to solve the really difficult problems? Douglas Engelbart said "the better we get at getting better, the faster we will get better" where our problem-solving abilities are constantly improved, and therefore so is everything we do!"
See also Avail Formats | Show Notes
A Machine for Thinking: How Douglas Engelbart Predicted the Future of Computing
A Machine for Thinking: How Douglas Engelbart Predicted the Future of Computing
“More than 50 years ago, Douglas Engelbart gave the "Mother of All Demos" that transformed software forever. The computer world has been catching up with his vision ever since.” See Also: About the Hidden Heroes Series
Innovation Monitor — Inventor Edition: Douglas Engelbart and interactive computing
Innovation Monitor — Inventor Edition: Douglas Engelbart and interactive computing
“The invention of the mouse was less about a handheld device and more about the way a great inventor envisioned a future of interactive computing. Douglas Engelbart strongly believed in a future where machines helped humans be better — why he called his lab the Augmentation Research Center.
[...]
As our interfaces to computers have continued to evolve — from the mouse, to multi-gesture trackpads, to extended reality (XR) navigation — take a moment to remember how The Mother of All Demos helped usher in this age of interactivity...”
Bill Paxton: An Accidental Astrophysicist
Engelbart Alumnus Bill Paxton: An Accidental Astrophysicist
“The American Astronomical Society honors [Engelbart alumnus Bill Paxton] an unlikely astrophysics leader from UC Santa Barbara” ... "While working at the Stanford Research Institute in 1968, he participated in what was later dubbed The Mother of All Demos, during which researcher Douglas Engelbart previewed many features that would become staples of personal computing."
Watch Paxton with Engelbart in 1968 Demo | More about the Demo
1969: Building the oN-Line System
1969: Building the oN-Line System
“The December 1968 demo had established Engelbart’s credentials as a rock star in the computer industry." Just under a year later, in December 1969, his group at the Stanford Research Institute presented a sequel to the demo, and became one of the first two nodes on the ARPANET — the forerunner of today’s Internet.”
See also Engelbart's 1969 Demo Sequel at dougengelbart.org
Douglas Engelbart, the Man Who Taught Us to Talk to Machines
Douglas Engelbart, the Man Who Taught Us to Talk to Machines
“his self-confessed life’s goal: nothing less than to harness the full power of the human intellect to solve the world’s great problems and make it a better place”
The Click Heard around the World
The Click Heard around the World
“On December 9, 1968, Douglas Engelbart of the Stanford Research Institute hosted a session at the Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco in which he used the first computer mouse to sweep through a demonstration that became the blueprint for modern computing.”
Related Articles: Tech Suport | How design factored into “the mother of all tech demos”
75 Years of Innovation: The Computer Mouse
75 Years of Innovation: The Computer Mouse
“A major development in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) driving the advent of more accessible and controllable consumer computers. [...] Engelbart was a visionary. He saw a world where human evolution tracked technological advances and vice versa — the two intrinsically linked and working in synchronicity.”
From the series 75 years of innovation at SRI International
Advent of Computing – podcast by Sean Haas
Advent of Computing - Podcast 2019
“Advent of Computing, the podcast that talks about the shocking, intriguing, and all too often relevant history of computing. A lot of little things we take for granted today have rich stories behind their creation, in each episode we will learn how older tech has led to our modern world.” Featuring Doug Engelbart's pioneering work in three podcasts in 2019. Could use some fact-checking, but largely well researched, with great insight, well told!
Check out
The Demo | Edge-Notched | Evolution of the Mouse | The Engelbart Audio Collection
SRI Case Study – the Mother of All Demos
How a 90-minute presentation became the catalyst to the modern world of personal computing
“The inspiration behind the technology at your fingertips today: the Mother of All Demos”
The Origins of the Mac
The Origins of the Mac
March 2019 Issue (151) “How the mother of all demos led to the computer that changed everything.” Check out the article / Purchase the Issue
The Mother Of All Demos, 50 Years On
The Mother Of All Demos, 50 Years On
“Douglas Engelbart pictured a future in which computers were tools to sharpen the human intellectual edge needed to solve the world’s problems.”
Tech Support: Collaborating on the Workstation of the Future
Tech Support: Collaborating on the Workstation of the Future
In 1968, Doug Engelbart teamed with Herman Miller Research designer Jack Kelley -- codesigner of the company’s Action Office System -- to design the computer workstation of the future. "Kelley was faced with the conundrum of creating furniture for a groundbreaking new computer ... that included a detached keyboard, monitor, and the first mouse. More importantly, it was one of the first examples of a computer designed for the user’s experience.”
1968: When The World Began – return to a square
1968: When The World Began - return to a square
In this Podcast: “On 9 December 1968, Doug Engelbart gave the ‘Mother of All Demos’ – and the world changed. 50 years later, both creators and keepers of the flame for that demo reflect on how 1968 changed the world — for all of us. On 9 December, 2018, some of the luminaries of the Internet gathered to commemorate the Golden Anniversary of the Mother of All Demos. We had a chance to talk with some of them, weaving their stories together into one of our own.”
See Podcast | Show Notes | Prequel | 4-Part 1968 Series | Series Announced
“What Would Doug Engelbart Do?” Ask Organizers of a Silicon Valley Event
"What Would Doug Engelbart Do?" Ask Organizers of a Silicon Valley Event
“Inspired by the man who showed the way to modern computing, tech-minded experts shared ideas for how to tackle climate change, nuclear proliferation, and broken political systems.”
How the Mother of All Demos portrayed the power of possibilities
How the Mother of All Demos portrayed the power of possibilities
“Net Results: Five decades after Douglas Englebart clicked the first mouse, it is still a gobsmacking thing of wonder." [...] "In short, 50 years on, we still haven’t fully comprehended the vision, or the portent, of that astonishing Mother of All Demos."
How design factored into “the mother of all tech demos”
How design factored into "the mother of all tech demos"
“A crucial, but rarely discussed element of Engelbart’s stagecraft was his custom-built chair. Herman Miller designer Jack Kelley modified an Eames shell chair and affixed a detatchable tray to house a keyboard, a computer mouse, and a keyset.” Jack Kelly recalls the setup for the seminal demo - “I designed the computer chair with a swing-out console because Engelbart liked to work in different attitudes and statures … stand-up, sit down, relax. … How do you solve for that?”
Engelbart’s historic demo: What have we learned 50 years later?
Engelbart's historic demo: What have we learned 50 years later?
“Tech leaders gathered in Mountain View to note the 50th anniversary of Douglas Engelbart's vision of personal computing.”
Smithsonian: The Mother of All Demos
The Mother of All Demos
“In December 1968, Douglas Engelbart debuted many of the concepts of modern, interactive computing.”
Logitech celebrates Mother of All Demos, 50 years old Invention of the Mouse
Logitech celebrates Mother of All Demos, 50 years old Invention of the Mouse
“having been fortunate to host the Engelbart foundation from 1992-2007 and experience his immense vision firsthand, Logitech has collaborated with the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, to help showcase this Silicon Valley hero, while looking ahead to the next 50 years of technology and human empowerment.”
50 Years Ago, ‘The Mother of All Demos’ Showed Us How Tech Would Transform the World
50 Years Ago, ‘The Mother of All Demos’ Showed Us How Tech Would Transform the World
“Fifty years ago, Doug Engelbart of the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) appeared on stage to give “the mother of all demos.” In the space of 90 minutes, he showed off revolutionary concepts like the mouse, word processing, and hyperlinks... To this day, you can trace the technology at your fingertips back to that day in 1968.”
SRI International Celebrates 50th Anniversary of “The Mother of All Demos”
SRI International Celebrates 50th Anniversary of "The Mother of All Demos" - and Looks Toward the Future of Breakthrough Innovation in Human-Computer Interaction
“Engelbart envisioned harnessing the power of computers as tools for collaboration and the augmentation of our collective intelligence to work on humanity's most important problems.”
Net@50: Did Engelbart’s “Mother of All Demos” Launch the Connected World?
Net@50: Did Engelbart's “Mother of All Demos” Launch the Connected World?
“His goal was building systems to augment human intelligence. His group prototyped much of modern computing (and invented the mouse) along the way”
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