One of most remarkable feats in computer science ?

"Vance Roos" wrote in message
...
FROM THE ECONOMIST (see extract below).

Is it really true or even almost true when the article states this?

"in one of the most remarkable feats in the history of computer
science, Galileo's operators completely reprogrammed the craft's
computers to take advantage of modern data-compression methods."

I don't know what was involved but if anyone has any views they would
be interesting to hear.

It was probably an ambitious feat, but I don't think it's "one of the most
remarkable feats in modern computer science." People do ambitious things
with computers a lot of the time... Unless there's something to it that I'm
completely unaware of, I don't think any new _computer science_ ground was
broken, though it was definitely an impressive thing to have done.

Michael A. Covington - Associate Director
Artificial Intelligence Center, The University of Georgia
http://www.ai.uga.edu/~mc

"Vance Roos" wrote in message...
FROM THE ECONOMIST (see extract below).

Is it really true or even almost true when the article states this?

"in one of the most remarkable feats in the history of computer
science, Galileo's operators completely reprogrammed the craft's
computers to take advantage of modern data-compression methods."

I don't know what was involved but if anyone has any views they would
be interesting to hear.

=========


Hi Vance,

Well The Economist's writers really know a lot about computers, don't they?
:-) Journalists do this sort of sensationalisation out of habit probably -
can you imagine what talking to one of them away from their work would be
like?

They just reprogrammed some of the computers - I don't wish to belittle the
work of the clever people involved, but that's not miraculous. I believe
something of a similar magnitude was done with the Voyager 2 probe at Uranus
& Neptune, to get around the fact that the cameras wouldn't operate well so
far from the sun... but I'm sure someone here recalls the details better
than I.

Basically it sounds like the hardware they choose to send up is always
capable of being reprogrammed from the ground - probably an extra expense,
but a wise precaution.

I remember being told that two of the most remarkable feats in
computer science were those of John von Neuman.

Apparently when it snowed at Princeton people stumbling across his
tracks, had accidents of a kind they had not had since they were small
children.

Cheers

Martin

--------------
Martin Frey
N 51 02 E 0 47
--------------

"AndyK" wrote in message
...

"Vance Roos" wrote in message...
FROM THE ECONOMIST (see extract below).

Is it really true or even almost true when the article states this?

"in one of the most remarkable feats in the history of computer
science, Galileo's operators completely reprogrammed the craft's
computers to take advantage of modern data-compression methods."

I don't know what was involved but if anyone has any views they would
be interesting to hear.

=========


Hi Vance,

Well The Economist's writers really know a lot about computers, don't
they?
:-) Journalists do this sort of sensationalisation out of habit
probably -
can you imagine what talking to one of them away from their work would be
like?


The journalist was probably just quoting the NASA press release.

They just reprogrammed some of the computers - I don't wish to belittle
the
work of the clever people involved, but that's not miraculous. I believe
something of a similar magnitude was done with the Voyager 2 probe at
Uranus
& Neptune, to get around the fact that the cameras wouldn't operate well
so
far from the sun... but I'm sure someone here recalls the details better
than I.

Basically it sounds like the hardware they choose to send up is always
capable of being reprogrammed from the ground - probably an extra expense,
but a wise precaution.

"Michael A. Covington" wrote in message ...

It was probably an ambitious feat, but I don't think it's "one of the most
remarkable feats in modern computer science." People do ambitious things
with computers a lot of the time.

Michael A. Covington


Mere child's play compared with reprogramming a Nokia 9800s off the
dish I should think. But then Nokia hasn't discovered the internet
yet. The 9800s is still a bit wobbly on its legs but out of immediate
danger. I just hope it doesn't try to crash into Jupiter!

Chris.B

Chris.B wrote:
"Michael A. Covington" wrote in message ...

It was probably an ambitious feat, but I don't think it's "one of the most
remarkable feats in modern computer science." People do ambitious things
with computers a lot of the time.

Michael A. Covington



Mere child's play compared with reprogramming a Nokia 9800s off the
dish I should think. But then Nokia hasn't discovered the internet
yet. The 9800s is still a bit wobbly on its legs but out of immediate
danger. I just hope it doesn't try to crash into Jupiter!

Chris.B
The other thing to remember is that the systems are not modern embedded
processors, which are design for this kind of thing, but code written on
1970's flight qualified processors. They have no FLASH roms, or modern
static RAMS. Offline data storage isn't a convenient gigabyte hard-disk
- its a bloody tape recorder. Data is transmitted at rates that make
modem access look like ethernet.

No, hats off to them, Galileo presented unique problems, some due to
failure admittedly.

It was a bloody clever trick.

Steve

In article , Ron
Larham wrote:
"AndyK" wrote in message
...

"Vance Roos" wrote in message...
FROM THE ECONOMIST (see extract below).

Is it really true or even almost true when the article states this?

"in one of the most remarkable feats in the history of computer
science, Galileo's operators completely reprogrammed the craft's
computers to take advantage of modern data-compression methods."

I don't know what was involved but if anyone has any views they
would
be interesting to hear.

=========


Hi Vance,

Well The Economist's writers really know a lot about computers, don't
they?
:-) Journalists do this sort of sensationalisation out of habit
probably -
can you imagine what talking to one of them away from their work
would be
like?

Torc remarked:
Pah that's nothing I got a Windows ME machine to boot this morning!

Clear Skies

Torc

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