Brian's Brain

Grace Hopper has regretfully passed on from this world (at least on the physical plane), but 100 years (and two days) after her birth, her accomplishments live on. For those of you not familiar with Grace, one of the leading female technology innovators (along with, for example, Hedy Lamarr), here's the introduction to her Wikipedia entry:

Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906 – January 1, 1992) was an American computer scientist and naval officer. A pioneer in the field, she was the first programmer of the Mark I Calculator and developed the first compiler for a computer programming language.

She was on the UNIVAC development team. She also heavily influenced the development of COBOL. She's credited with bringing the terms 'computer bug' and 'debugging' into common usage, although she hasn't definitively been identified as the first to utter them. Many computer historians also believe she came up with a phrase that I admit I've used on occasion (an admission that won't be a surprise to anyone who knows me)...."It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission."

Best centennial birthday wishes to you, Amazing Grace, and thank you for paving a trail that I and many others have subsequently traversed. Your spirit is present in every transistor, and in every line of code.