Cosma / Communication / Media / Computation / Software / Program
And programming computers was so fascinating. You create your own little universe, and then it does what you tell it to do. — Vint Cerf
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Introduction1
GCFLearnFree.org (YouTube Channel)
GCFLearnFree.org (Official Website)
Dictionary
program : a sequence of coded instructions that can be inserted into a mechanism (as a computer) — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook
Programming (FOLDOC: Free Online Dictionary of Computing)
Encyclopedia
Computer program (also software, or just a program) is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program’s instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute the instructions. The same program in its human-readable source code form, from which executable programs are derived (e.g., compiled), enables a programmer to study and develop its algorithms. — Wikipedia
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Inspiration
CODEBroadcastChannel (YouTube Channel)
Talks about Computer Programming (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)
Articles about Computer Programming (Big Think)
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Innovation
Technology
Programming language is any set of rules that converts strings, or graphical program elements in the case of visual programming languages, to various kinds of machine code output. — Wikipedia
Simply Coding (YouTube Channel)
Programming Languages (Wolfram Alpha)
List of Programming Languages (Wikipedia)
Commerce
Product
Computer Programming Items (Etsy)
Computer Programming Gifts (Zazzle)
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Preservation
History
As soon as we started programming, we found to our surprise that it wasn’t as easy to get programs right as we had thought. Debugging had to be discovered. I can remember the exact instant when I realized that a large part of my life from then on was going to be spent in finding mistakes in my own programs. — Maurice Wilkes, Memoirs of a Computer Pioneer
Early Programming (Crash Course Computer Science, YouTube Video)
The First Programming Languages (Crash Course Computer Science, YouTube Video)
Computer Languages History (Éric Lévénez)
The Programming Languages Genealogy Project (Everything2)
“Mother Tongues” Lineage Chart (Wired Infographic) (PDF Version)
Library
DDC: 005 Computer Programming (Library Thing)
Subject: Computer Programming (Library Thing)
Subject: Computer Programming (Open Library)
LCC: QA 76.6 Computer Programming (UPenn Online Books)
LCC: QA 76.6 Computer Programming (Library of Congress)
Subject: Computer Programming (Library of Congress)
Subject: Computer Programming (WorldCat)
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Participation
Education 2
An apprentice carpenter may want only a hammer and saw, but a master craftsman employs many precision tools. Computer programming likewise requires sophisticated tools to cope with the complexity of real applications, and only practice with these tools will build skill in their use. — Robert L. Kruse, Data Structures and Program Design in C
Code.org (YouTube Channel)
Code.org (Official Website)
Instructions & Programs (Crash Course Computer Science, YouTube Video)
Programming Basics: Statements & Functions (Crash Course Computer Science, YouTube Video)
Computer Science Curriculum (Carnegie Mellon University)
Computer Science Field Guide: Programming Languages (Computer Science Education Research Group, University of Canterbury, Official Website)
Computer Science Field Guide: Coding Introduction (Computer Science Education Research Group, University of Canterbury, Official Website)
MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources
Course
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming (John Guttag, MIT Opencourseware)
Community
Occupation
CareerOneStop, YouTube Channel (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
CareerOneStop, Official Website (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
Computer Programmers (Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Organization
ACM Special Interest Group on Programming Languages (ACM SIGPLAN)
News
ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology
Computer Programming (JSTOR)
Computer Programming News (Science Daily)
Recent News from Science Daily …
- Scientists discover two superconducting states...on August 31, 2026 at 1:29 pm
Scientists have uncovered hidden complexity inside two ultrathin superconductors that seemed much simpler than they really are. Niobium diselenide and tantalum disulfide appeared to have a single superconducting state, but highly sensitive measurements revealed that each actually contains two strongly interacting states working so closely together that they masquerade as one.
- IBM quantum computer solves classically...on August 30, 2026 at 2:08 pm
IBM and University of Chicago researchers have completed a quantum computation that leading classical methods could not practically reproduce. The system used 70 error-corrected logical qubits and finished the task in roughly 15 minutes while also providing statistical evidence that the result was reliable.
- NASA just used satellites and debris to navigate...on August 26, 2026 at 11:27 pm
NASA has successfully tested a system that allows satellites to navigate without GPS by using other spacecraft and debris as landmarks in orbit. In just three days, FALCON also improved the known orbits of more than 200 space objects completely autonomously.
- A hidden “on switch” in human DNA has finally...on August 23, 2026 at 12:14 pm
Researchers have used AI to uncover the DNA signature of a key genetic “switch” involved in turning genes on. After analyzing about 500,000 DNA sequences, the model identified the initiator in roughly 60% of human genes. The breakthrough could help predict the effects of harmful mutations and eventually contribute to decoding the broader genetic instructions that control gene activity throughout the body.
- World’s first superconducting quantum heat...on August 14, 2026 at 12:56 pm
A tiny superconducting engine has successfully converted heat near absolute zero into useful work, demonstrating the first cyclic quantum heat engine of its kind. Future versions could operate autonomously inside quantum computers, potentially eliminating huge numbers of costly, noise-producing microwave cables.
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Here are links to pages about closely related subjects.
Format Multimedia (Video, Animation) Image (Object) Scent, Flavor, Audio (Text) Haptic, “Other“
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1. The resources on this page are are organized by a classification scheme developed exclusively for Cosma.
2. This page was compiled by M. E. Hopper for ECOMP 7100: Fundamentals of Computer Structure while serving as a faculty member of Technology in Education at Lesley University. It has been expanded and updated since then.
