Happy Atheist Forum

General => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: Dave on March 31, 2017, 08:23:54 PM

Title: Amazing people
Post by: Dave on March 31, 2017, 08:23:54 PM
There have probably been a million or more amazing people, from those who overcame disese or disability to thos whoaccomplished great feats, over jut the past century or so. I am thinking here not of politicians or captains of industry but those who did things for other than personal gain in the power or monetary sense.

I was reminded of one such yesterday in a radio programme, Grace Hopper, 1906 - 1992.

Who?

Those computing programming geeks amongst us will be aware of "compilers", we have Grace to thank for them. Rear Admiral Grace Hopper retired, involuntarily, from the USN in 1986, after 42 years service, aged 79. Not bad for a woman judged too skinny and little to join up - until they needed her!

See Wikipedia (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper) for a fuller account, but here's a taster:

Quote...during many of her lectures, she illustrated a nanosecond using salvaged obsolete Bell System 25 pair telephone cable, cut it to 11.8 inch (30 cm) lengths, the distance that light travels in one nanosecond, and handed out the individual wires to her listeners.
QuoteThe most important thing I've accomplished, other than building the compiler, is training young people. They come to me, you know, and say, 'Do you think we can do this?' I say, "Try it." And I back 'em up. They need that. I keep track of them as they get older and I stir 'em up at intervals so they don't forget to take chances.

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F1llpG3j.jpg&hash=10f1e11e1e51d3adeedd6f4b0734cc0bdd665bd2)