Coding is much more than just that. It goes beyond pure programming and algorithms.
As we have said in the past, coding is a way of thinking. Those who know how to program look at the world’s problems from a different perspective. Kids who code stare at issues and, like some kind of magic, start thinking almost immediately about the potential solutions they have, and the pathways they can walk to reach those solutions.
Coding gives its learners a wide variety of tools they can use to either change and improve our entire society, or at least, to have a better chance to succeed in tomorrow’s world, a world in which abilities like critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving will be a must in every single field, technology-related or not.
But, there are several facts about the world of computer science and coding not many people know. You’re probably wondering how useful these facts are, and actually, besides feeding your curiosity to learn more, they are not going to strengthen the 21st-century skills you and your kids need. What is true, is that it is always great to learn new things… it opens our minds to realities we had no idea about, and it might explain to us why things are the way they are nowadays.
In this short but super interesting article, we are going to share with you 13 amazing coding facts you most likely didn’t know a thing about. Are you ready to be surprised? Because here on the other side of the screen, we are ready to surprise you!
13 FACTS ABOUT CODING
It is, in fact, very surprising to realize that George Washington didn’t know dinosaurs existed since the first fossils were discovered after his death. See? When you hear something you didn’t know about before, your mind starts wondering about more things on the same subject, and instantly, you want to expand your knowledge in that specific subject.
That is exactly what we want to do in this article. We will give you 13 breathtaking facts about coding, in order to feed your curiosity, and to make you want to research more. Or at least, to install the desire for you to share these cool facts about programming with your friends, colleagues and family members.
Let’s cut to the chase! Here we go… 13 facts about coding you have to know!
1. The first programmer in the entire world was a woman. Her name was Ada Lovelace and she was born in 1815. It is believed by some people that Lovelace published the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine.
2. The first programming language in the world was called FORTRAN (an acronym for Formula Translation), and it was created in 1956. The team who created it, led by Mr. John Backus, started working on it in 1954.
3. Over 70% of all programming jobs are in fields and industries outside of technology. People who learn how to code can strengthen numerous 21st-century skills that will assist them when doing an exceptional job in almost every industry.
4. The first “computer bug” was named that due to an actual bug. This bug was found by Grace Hopper. The computer she was building started to fail, that’s when she discovered an actual moth in the system. Since then, when something fails in either software or hardware, we call it a “bug”. If you want to read more about Grace Hopper’s history and legacy, take a look at this blog post we wrote a few weeks ago.
5. Nowadays, there are thousands of programming languages in the world! At one point, we thought there were around 700 programming languages, but nowadays, some people even dare to say that there are 9,000 of them! Kids can begin to learn how to code by using friendly and colorful systems like Scratch, to then progress to more advanced and complex programming languages like Java or Python.
6. It took less code to send a man to the Moon than to run a smartphone.
7. Talking about the Moon… Margaret Hamilton, an American computer scientist and systems engineer, wrote the computer code that helped save the Apollo Moon landing mission.
8. The first computer game didn’t make any profit. Today, the gaming industry revenue is set to be USD$196 Billion during 2022.
9. The first computer virus ever was not designed to be harmful. What happened along the way? We have no idea!
10. It is a requirement for astronomers to know how to code. They actually use a variety of programming languages to process the measurements that they make, and also to develop simulations of astrophysical phenomena.
11. Your kids can learn how to program in an easy, friendly, safe, accessible way! Through the live and online courses offered by Tekkie Uni, your children can have classes with the best instructors available and strengthen extraordinary skills while learning how to program their very own apps, games, and software. Programming is for everyone, and it is just around the corner.
12. Coding will soon be as important as reading. Kids must learn how to code today to succeed in tomorrow’s world. The -extremely technological- world we live in will require from the adults of tomorrow a series of skills and abilities that are deeply related to both programming and coding. Can you imagine how you would work today if you didn’t know how to read and write? Well, the same feeling will have the youngsters if they don’t know how to code in a couple of years from now.
13. Long Lasting code! NASA still operates some projects on programming from the 70’s. Yes, you heard it right! NASA decided not to implement a machine language after the failures of previous programs. They chose a high-level programming language. As a result, they made their own. HAL/S (High-order Assembly Language/Shuttle) was the name of the program.
HAL/S was created expressly for the tasks that the Space Shuttle flying software required to do. The hardware of the Space Shuttle was created with that software in mind.
Which one of these facts surprised you the most? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. If you have any other fun or surprising facts about coding or programming, feel free to share it with us and we might add it to this list. Thanks in advance!
YOUR KIDS CAN CODE. GIVE THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED!
You already know this: Coding is a way of thinking. As you just read in these amusing facts, lots of extraordinary things have happened throughout the history of programming. Would you like your children to be part of this? Do you want them to maybe create spectacular things with their own hands? Maybe you just want to show them that everything is possible and that they can turn their dreams into reality?
Give your kids the tools they need. Enable them to find their true passion and to strengthen all the 21st-century skills they must have in the near future. Coding can help you with that. Promise.
