Join Ruth to discover how women were the first computers, performing unrecognised programming work that shaped modern computing. This talk traces their vital role from 1731 to today.
Cost: £3.99 | Free for paid subscribers & members
Date: Monday, 9 March 2026
Time: 6:00 PM
1 sessions • Ends 09 Mar • Live course
Here's the full schedule for this course:
Each session is available on catch up for at least 7 days
Course type: live
Level: Beginner
Host: Dr Ruth Stalker-Firth
This is a talk about how the first computers were women, they were actually called ‘computers’ as programming was traditionally female clerical work, lowly paid and unrecognised, even though it was complex and completely new, so laboratory owners would, when setting up new projects, say things like "we need three more microscopes and three girls..." Their labour freed up the men to do the ‘real’ work.
Tracing the story from 1731, when the Edinburgh Weekly Journal advised young married women to know their husband's income and be a good computer and keep within it until present day, we will see how computers couldn’t have evolved without the first ‘computers’.
Hi, I’m Ruth, I write and teach about technology, exploring how people use tech and how it shapes our lives. I’ve worked as an AI consultant and lecturer since 2001, sharing my passion for human-computer interaction online and at universities.
