Technorama

Episode 786: It Came From the Mainframe

Listen Later

Listen below with the audio player or Click Here for complete show notes and video from the show.

Feedback
  • QOTW: You get a  one minute trip to the past or future…what do you do with it?
  • Feedback from Discord
  • Voice mail from “mystery man (Mike)”
  • Post cards from Japan
    • On This Day In History for October 29, 2025

    This is the 302nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 63 days remaining in 2025.

    • On October 29, 1675, Leibniz made the first use of the long s (∫) as a symbol of the integral in calculus.
    • It was 162 years ago today that Eighteen countries met in Geneva and agreed to form the International Red Cross
    • That same date in 1929 was known as Black Tuesday. The New York Stock Exchange crashed, ending the Great Bull Market of the 1920s and beginning the Great Depression.
    • It was on this date in 1969, that the first-ever computer-to-computer link was established on ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet.
    • British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opened the last stretch of the M25 motorway on this date in 1986.
    • Also on October 29, 1991, The American Galileo spacecraft made its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, becoming the first probe to visit an asteroid.
    • ATSC HDTV broadcasting in the United States was inaugurated with the launch of the STS-95 space shuttle mission 27 years ago today.
    • On that same mission, 77-year-old John Glenn became the oldest person to go into space at that time.
    • October 29, 2008, Delta Air Lines merges with Northwest Airlines, creating the world’s largest airline and reducing the number of US legacy carriers to five.

      • Happy birthday goes out on this date to:

      • French historian, explorer, and author, Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, born on this date in 1682.
      • English mathematician and astronomer, Martin Folkes was born 335 years ago today.
      • Laura Bassi, the Italian physicist and academic, first woman to have a doctorate in science was born 314 years ago today.
      • Italian astronomer and meteorologist, Caterina Scarpellini, born on this date in 1808.
      • Abram Ioffe, the Russian physicist and academic was born 145 years ago today.
      • Carl Djerassi, Austrian-American chemist, author, and playwright was born on that same date in 1923.
      • Also turning 68 today is American actor, voice artist, comedian, singer and producer Dan Castellaneta.
      • Also born on that same date in 1971,  American mathematician, cryptologist, and academic, Daniel J. Bernstein.

        • Listener Birthdays

        • 29 – Big Jim Clark, MegaPodTastic
        • 30 – WolfGeek
        • 31 – Sylvain Racicot
        • 1 – Amber Elstad
        • 2 – Mark McCoy
        • 3 – Ken Pace
        • 3 – Craig Glassner (aka Ranger Craig)
        • 4 – Avner (OMG, its 2014 – I’m 40 already)

          • And that’s the way it was, on this day in history for October 29, 2025

          • If you want to get on the Technorama Birthday Calendar, visit our website and look for the Birthday Calendar link.
            • News
            • Two spacecraft will pass right through comet 3I/ATLAS’ tail | Live Science
            • Barbara Gips, Creator of Memorable Movie Catchphrases, Dies at 89 – The New York Times (subscription required)
              • Free article
              • Quantum Leap: How Time Crystals Could Power the Computers of Tomorrow
              • A laser pointer at 2 billion fps makes the speed of light look… kinda weird
                • Shout out to the chat room

                Watch us live every Sunday night at 8:30PM ET on Facebook. Go to Join our page and get notified automatically. Join us on the live chat!

                Remember When
                • 16 Pieces of 80s Technology That Today’s Kids Won’t Believe Were Real
                  • Thank you Patrons!

                  This show is brought to you by… YOU! Thank you to our Patrons who enable us to keep the show running and bring you special episodes.

                  Alexis DuranAmber ElstadAmy BowenAvner BravermanBen VaughanBrad MillerBrian BrownChris MartinezChris McDanDMan CoyerDean JensenDenise InglisGary LindrosJason PollardJohn CliffordJohn NobleJorge SchrauwenKrazy JoeKyle NishiokaLeonMMark KilfoilMike WillsSaturday Morning MediaStephen WescheSteve CodySteve TherrienSteve WebbStewe LundinSylvain RacicotTim Cook

                  If you want to become a patron, visit our Patreon Page. We’ve got various levels of donations and in return we have various patron packages including a special “after show” we record just for the patrons! patreon.com/technoramapodcast 

                  Pass me the remote
                  • Chuck
                    • Uncle Nino – Amazon Prime
                    • House of Guinness – Netflix
                    • Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Netflix
                    • My Father, the BTK Killer – Netflix
                    • Kreg
                      • Downey Wrote that – Peacock
                        • Question of the week
                        • Before the internet made everything instantly available, what was your primary ‘analog’ source for geeky information? Was it a specific magazine (like OMNI, Starlog, or Byte), a TV show (like Beyond 2000), or the sci-fi section of your local library?
                          • End of Show Stuff

                          We appreciate your support. If you like the show, there are many ways to show your love:

                          • Visit our Amazon page for recommended books, toys, and other fun stuff!
                          • Call the Listener Line: 707-530-CHAT(2428)
                            • Email at [email protected]
                            • We are on the Social Interwebs…
                            • Search for Technorama Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, Bsky and YouTube, etc
                            • You can also find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts
                            • Join our new Discord at chuckchat.com/discord
                              • You can help support us:
                              • How about a donation to the tip jar: one time or monthly micropayment on Patreon!
                              • Links to the articles and items referenced in the show can be found on our website
                              • www.chuckchat.com

                                • Also Thanks to

                                • Everyone who sent us links during the week
                                • Those who joined us to watch live on Facebook!
                                • You, for downloading and listening

                                  • Tell a friend about Technorama and…

                                  binary high five

                                  ...more
                                  View all episodesView all episodes
                                  Download on the App Store
                                  TechnoramaBy Chuck Tomasi and Kreg Steppe
                                  • 4.9
                                  • 4.9
                                  • 4.9
                                  • 4.9
                                  • 4.9

                                  4.9

                                  34 ratings