Fridaygram: Colossus revealed, risk-taking bees, super attire
By Scott Knaster, Google
Developers Blog Editor
The world’s first programmable computer was
Colossus,
built in England in 1943. During World War II, Colossus was used to break codes at the UK’s
famed decryption center at
Bletchley Park. With
a little help from its
friends, Bletchley Park was recently saved from destruction, and many of its
historic sites are now being restored. This week, a
gallery dedicated to Colossus
opened at the
National Museum of
Computing, housed at Bletchley Park.
Even many years after the war, Colossus was kept secret. Another big secret, just discovered,
is about honeybees: they’re not all alike. Researchers have found that
some worker bees seem
to be more interested than others in novel behaviors such as finding a new home for the
hive. (Let’s call these the startup bees.) Scientists studied the genetic foundation
for varying behaviors, and using chemical treatments, they were able to change whether bees
were likely to display this “novelty-seeking” behavior.
Speaking of novelty, if you happen to be in Knoxville, Tennessee any time in March, you can
check out some
knitted
superhero costumes on display at the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville's Ewing
Gallery. They’re perfect for wearing to your favorite upcoming superhero
movie.
Ludicrous transitions are just part of the fun here at Fridaygram, where we take a
break from the real news once a week. Each Fridaygram item must pass only one test: it has to
be interesting to us nerds. By the way, the main topic of today’s post has no connection to
this amazing
movie, which features a great performance by Paul Frees (uncredited, of
course).
