38. Before monitors, computers like the ENIAC used blinking lights and mechanical relays to communicate. Operators manipulated cables and punch cards to input data, and results appeared as patterns of illuminated bulbs and clacking gears. These machines required a lot of manual intervention and a deep understanding of their inner workings.
Operators had to be part mathematician, part engineer, and part magician to coax the machines into producing useful results. What would it be like to work with these early computers, where every calculation involved physical manipulation and an intimate connection with the machine’s mechanical heart.