CHM Blog
The CHM blog showcases ideas and insights from our vibrant community in Silicon Valley and around the world. We take you behind the scenes of our programming, collections, and exhibits. Connecting the past to the present and into the future, we decode technology for everyone.
Behind the Scenes
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Behind the Scenes
The Two-Napkin Protocol
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
In 1989, Kirk Lougheed of Cisco and Yakov Rekhter of IBM were having lunch in a meeting hall cafeteria at an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) conference. They wrote a new routing protocol that became RFC (Request for Comment) 1105, the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), known to many as the “Two Napkin Protocol” — in
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Behind the Scenes
Road Trip: CHM Enigma Machine Goes to Hollywood
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
My Mission: TIME Magazine calls, they want our Enigma machine for a photo shoot in Hollywood featuring The Imitation Game star Benedict Cumberbatch. The movie is based on Andrew Hodges’ book, Alan Turing: The Enigma.
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Behind the Scenes, Guest Blog
Restoring the IBM 1401
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Is anyone willing to lead a project to restore an IBM 1401?” Mike Cheponis enthusiastically asked with a glint in his eye. I knew Mike after attending several of his DEC PDP-1 restoration sessions at the Computer History Museum. While most of my late night college hours were spent on DEC, UNIVAC, and SDS computers, I h
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Behind the Scenes
Volunteers, start your laptops!
Monday, October 7, 2013
The race is on! The Computer History Museum was recently awarded a prestigious two-year federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to catalog 10,000 backlogged physical objects (hardware and ephemera). That’s a lot to accomplish in such a short time but we know we’ll cross the Finish Line with our
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Behind the Scenes
The Artifact Doctor Will See You Now
Monday, April 8, 2013
What do a lame fox, loose disk drive reels and J.M. Jacquard’s dirty face have in common?
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Behind the Scenes
William Shockley’s Fortune “Found” in Archive
Friday, February 8, 2013
Every now and then we hear of a document being “found” or “discovered” in an archive.
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Behind the Scenes, Internet History Program
The Other Internet, Part II: Cambridge to Kenya
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
With his clipped red hair, freckled ruddy skin, and open yet no-nonsense manner, Nick Hughes could play a British army officer in the movies. But this quietly effective former geologist is the architect of the world’s leading mobile payment system, one that has changed daily life in Kenya and offers a possible glimpse
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Behind the Scenes
Collecting Oral Histories: It Takes a Village (or a Museum)
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Oral histories have the capability of breathing life into inanimate objects. They can bridge gaps by providing introductions to otherwise unknown people, remote places, or obscure things. Most importantly, oral histories have the ability to merge and connect the past with the present, creating a lasting legacy for futu
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Behind the Scenes, Internet History Program
The Other Internet Part 1: Masai Mara
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
“Yes, we buy cattle with M-Pesa on our mobile phones. It is far more secure than carrying cash.”George is sitting on a folding stool and wearing his tribe’s full traditional dress, a mix of loosely wrapped bright red and purple and pink plaids – as well as fluorescent beaded jewelry – that can make the Day-Glo acid col
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Behind the Scenes
My Gamer Soul Wept With Epic Joy
Friday, November 2, 2012
If you have ever played games on a computer or a console system, you have probably played at least one Blizzard game. In fact, at least 10 million people were subscribed to World of Warcraft as of October 4th, 2012. Blizzard continually produces some of the best selling and most critically acclaimed games in the indust