Tech History: "Computer" Wasn't Always a Machine

Before laptops and smartphones became everyday tools, the word “computer” didn’t refer to a device at all—it referred to a person.

In the early 1900s (and even into the mid-20th century), human “computers” were employed to perform complex calculations by hand. They worked on everything from astronomical charts to wartime ballistics tables, using pencils, paper, and sometimes basic mechanical calculators.

Many of these early computers were women. Their work laid the foundation for fields like aerospace engineering, cryptography, and data science. NASA’s “human computers,” famously highlighted in Hidden Figures, helped launch astronauts into space and safely bring them home.

💡 The takeaway?

The next time you call your laptop a “computer,” remember—it’s carrying the legacy of thousands of brilliant people who did all the math manually long before microchips existed.