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Nowadays everyone talks about coding and knows a lot about it. Parents and teachers are now aware that how much important is for students to learn how to code. They can start learning the basics through coding for kids programs. In this article, I am bringing five cool facts about coding.
Facts About Coding
1. It took less code to send a man to space than to run a smartphone!
When NASA’s reusable Space Shuttle first went into space in the 70s it had less code than the phones in our pockets! Surprisingly, NASA still uses computer programs from the 70s in their spacecraft. It would be extremely costly for NASA to write new codes and design new computer programs. Additionally, designing a new computer program requires a lot of testing and can carry risks of failure. The old-fashioned technology that NASA is currently using still works up to this day, so there’s no need to replace it.
2. The “C” programming language had a predecessor called “B”
The programming language “C” is one of the most popular languages in the history of computer science. In fact, a lot of modern programming languages are based mainly on “C”, such as C++, C#, Perl, and Java. However, there was a predecessor language called “B” created and written in 1969, by Ken Thompson working in Bell Laboratories. “B” stands for “Bell”. Later “B” was improved by Dennis Ritchie to create “C”.
3. There is diversity in Computer Languages
Nowadays, there are over 700 different computer languages. All experts recommend for kids to start with a visual editor and a block-based programming language for them to learn in a smoother and easier way.
4. Computer programming played an important role in ending World War II!
Alan Turing, an English Mathematician, is recognized by many as the father of modern-day computer science. He founded the concepts of computations and algorithms with his inventions. However, what many people might not know is that Turing played a pivotal role in bringing World War II to an end. The Nazis used an encrypted machine called ENIGMA that was difficult to interpret. However, Alan used his cryptologic and algorithmic skills to decipher the machine. This helped the Allies to win the war and saved countless lives. In fact, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) named its award after him. The Turing Award is given to individuals as a recognition of their contributions to the world of computer programming.
5. Python was not named after snake
Python is one of the most suitable languages for kids to start learning to code. At the time Guido Van Rossum begins implementing Python, he was also reading the published scripts from Monty Python’s Flying Circus (a BBC comedy series from the seventies). It occurred to him that he needed a name that was short, unique, and slightly mysterious, so he decided to call the language Python.
Conclusion
We were so excited writing this article about 5 Cool Facts About Coding. As coders ourselves, we love to learn about the world and how it works. We were happy that we were able to share some of these facts with all of our readers today. Hopefully you learned something from this article and you can use that knowledge to improve your overall coding abilities!
