Ada Lovelace – The First Programmer

The first computer software (or at least calculator software) was developed approximately in 1843 by Ada Lovelace (1815–1852), who is considered the world's first programmer.

Key facts about Ada Lovelace:

• She was the daughter of the famous Romantic poet Lord Byron;
• She was deeply interested in the work of Charles Babbage (1791–1871), an English mathematician and inventor;
• She is known to have written programs for Babbage's Analytical Engine.

The Analytical Engine

Charles Babbage designed the Analytical Engine – considered the first mechanical general-purpose computer. It adopted the concept of punched cards to store and input a program into the hardware.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley – The First Science-Fiction Author

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was the wife of the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, a close friend of Ada Lovelace's father, Lord Byron – connecting the two women historically.

She is the author of the renowned (rinomato) novel Frankenstein (published 1818), which has inspired countless (innumerevoli) movies and TV shows.

Frankenstein – A Towering (imponente) Work

Frankenstein is simultaneously:

From a scientific perspective, Frankenstein can be considered one of the first artificial life forms ever imagined. Shelley was thus the first author to engage the question of whether humans can create life.

The Connection Between the Two Women

Both Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley were closely connected to two major Romantic poets, who believed in:

• the central role of nature;