Konrad Zuse and Z1 – the First Mechanical Computer

There is no doubt that the World War II pushed forward the development of the digital computer. In the USA it was the need to calculate firing tables for artillery and later the atomic bomb simulations (see Issue 1, December 2016). In the UK it was the highly secret code cracking work of Alan Turing and his team

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution, sometimes (inaccurately) called Industry 4.0 or just 4IR? Before we answer, let us take a step back. 1. Steam The First Industrial Revolution, or “Industrialization”, began in England in the late 18th century, following in the wake of James Watt and his steam engine (1774). Tasks previously done laboriously by

Cool Karel Program

Karel has 10 columns of crates in front of him. He has to measure the height of the tallest column, and build an equally-tall column of light bulbs in front of his home square!

Full STEAM Ahead, Issue 3, with Message from Dave Brancamp

Full STEAM Ahead – Issue 3 (February 2017) We are excited to share the third issue of our newsletter Full STEAM Ahead. The newsletter delivers messages from prominent personalities, comments on recent developments as well as on the exciting history of computing, brings updates from schools and libraries, presents tutorials and short courses on various

NCLab Among Top 101 Educational Websites

Educents is an online marketplace for education supplies that claims to have over half a million customers. It named NCLab as one of seven Science and Technology sites on its annual list of the Top 101 Educational Websites: “NCLab’s award-winning curriculum uses the power of games to teach computer programming and 3D modeling to 6th-12th

NCLab Among 50 Top Innovators Invited to Venture Summit West

The Fifth annual Venture Summit West, presented by youngStartup Ventures, is the premier industry gathering connecting venture capitalists, corporate VCs, angel investors, technology transfer professionals, senior executives of early stage and emerging growth companies, university researchers, incubators and premier service providers. A select group of more than 50 Top Innovators from the technology, life sciences,

Chance at Computer Science with NCLab

Author: Chance Harrison, Silver Springs, NV My name is Chance Harrison, and I’m currently studying at both the Silver Stage High School and the Western Nevada College. Accomplishments that I am currently proud of are achieving A’s in all my classes since my first year in high school, and completing my TestOut PC Pro Certification.

3D Modeling Courses Take Shape at Reno-area Libraries

Author: Kevin Fredericks, Washoe County Libraries Computing is powerful. In today’s world, products can be designed, prototyped, tested, and manufactured without a single drop of ink on paper. On the other hand, if you have ever enjoyed a Pixar film like Finding Nemo or Toy Story, you have experienced the level of artistry that is

Nevada’s Economic Diversification is all about STEM

Author: Dave Brancamp, Director, Nevada Department of Education Office of Standards and Instructional Support Nevada is changing. Where once as a state we were known mainly for our gaming, tourism, and hospitality industries, we have now added to our portfolio many new and exciting industries such as clean energy, robotics, battery manufacturing, drones, and autonomous vehicles.