In a vault at the National Security Agency lies a historical treasure: two AMPEX 1-inch open reel tapes containing a landmark lecture by Admiral Grace Hopper, a giant in the field of computer science. Yet this invaluable artifact remains inaccessible, trapped in an obsolete format that the NSA will not release, stating that the agency is unable to play it back.

  • xyguy@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    4 months ago

    This is such a tragedy. And magnetic tape from that era may or may not hold up long enough before someone finally gets around to having them digitized.