3.24.2009 day

Today is Ada Lovelace Day. Among many other intriguing features of her life, Lady Augusta Ada Byron was the (neglected) daughter of Lord Byron, a poet described as mad bad and dangerous to know. Countess Lovelace was however uniquely talented in her own right, working and providing patronage for Charles Babbage - including writing programs for his Analytical Engine.

Our pal Byron was named after an obedient sixth grader his mother taught in a small town in Texas, though anyone who knows him would say he has more in common with the incendiary thinker who supposedly kept a bear in his rooms in Cambridge. Why? Because nobody had thought to specify such actions were against the rules.

The 2009 Lovelace and Needham Awards have been officially announced.

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