Your computer is more than just a tool. It’s more like an extension of your personality, and it has the potential to make you more creative, productive, and connected while also making you less safe. And that’s no exaggeration! This article will explore some of the scary and interesting facts about computers that may be hidden in plain sight.
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12 Interesting Facts About Computers
- The Fugaku supercomputer is the world’s fastest computer as of June 2020. It is located in Kobe, Japan, and is operated by the RIKEN Center for Computational Science. The Fugaku supercomputer is used for a variety of purposes, including weather forecasting, earthquake simulation, and basic research. The machine was designed by Fujitsu and is based on the company’s A64FX microprocessor.
- It’s hard to believe that the first computers were not only much larger but also much less powerful. The first-ever computer, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), weighed in at over 27 tons and took up an entire room.
- The first mouse was designed by Doug Engelbart in 1964. His original design was made from wood, and it featured two rollers and a button on top.
- Before Microsoft released its now-iconic Windows operating system, it was briefly named Interface Manager. Thankfully, the team decided to change the name before release; can you imagine having to say “I’m sorry, I don’t have Windows, I have Interface Manager” whenever someone asked what type of computer you had?
- In 1980, IBM released the first gigabyte-capacity hard drive. Weighing in at a massive 550 pounds, it was roughly the size of a refrigerator and required its own air conditioning unit to prevent it from overheating.
- Alan Turning is widely recognized as the father of computer science. He was born in 1912 in London, and he showed an early aptitude for mathematics and engineering.
- The first microprocessor was only designed for calculators. The 4004 was released in 1971 by Intel and it quickly became the engine that powered calculators and other simple electronic devices.
- Most people don’t use the Scroll Lock key on the keyboard. The Scroll Lock key was designed to lock all scrolling techniques, but it is now obsolete because modern computers do not have advanced enough scrolling features for the Scroll Lock key to be useful.
- In 1999, a 15-year-old hacker managed to hijack several computers at NASA. As a result, work came to a standstill for 21 days.
- Hard drives are delicate storage devices, and even small amounts of vibration can cause them to slow down or stop working altogether. That’s why it’s important to be careful when handling hard drives and to keep them away from sources of vibration. Yelling at a hard drive, for example, will not only fail to fix the problem, but it could also make the situation worse. Tapping on the device can also cause damage, so it’s best to avoid doing that as well.
- MyDoom, also known as Novarg, was a computer worm that appeared in early 2004. It was notable at the time for being the world’s fastest-spreading virus, and for its use of email attachments to spread itself.
- In 1833, British mathematician Charles Babbage devised a machine called the “Difference Engine,” which was capable of performing simple mathematical calculations. Babbage followed this up with the “Analytical Engine,” a more complex machine that could be programmed to perform any type of calculation. Though both machines were ultimately never completed, Babbage’s work laid the foundation for the development of the modern computer.
12 Scary Facts About Computers
- Hackers can use your webcam to spy on you or capture compromising images without you knowing it.
- You can get a computer virus by opening an email or visiting a website that contains a virus.
- Some viruses will delete everything on your hard drive if you open it in Microsoft Word.
- Cybercriminals have been known to hack people’s computers and use the webcam on their victim’s computer to capture compromising images without them knowing it.
- If you get a message from your bank or PayPal saying there was suspicious activity on your account and they want you to click on an included link, it’s usually a phishing scam and they’re just trying to get your personal information. Don’t click any links in such messages; instead, go directly to your bank or PayPal website by typing their URL into the address bar of your web browser yourself.
- In 2010, Google processed more than 1 billion search queries every day.
- There are tiny cameras called “spy cams” that are small enough to fit in your pocket and are hidden inside items like alarm clocks, smoke detectors, picture frames, wall clocks, etc.
- Blue light from LED displays disrupts sleep cycles.
- You can put a computer in sleep mode and still access the internet, but doing so will cause your bandwidth to be limited.
- There are viruses that can steal your passwords or credit card information from any website you visit.
- Phantom vibrate syndrome is when you think your device is vibrating in your pocket, but it’s not. This can cause people to use their phones more often than they normally would. This syndrome is real.
- A dual-chip NVIDIA graphics card will get hot enough to fry an egg when the fan speed is decreased by around 10%.
My favorites:
1. Computers can be used to spy on you – both government and private organizations can use your computer to spy on you, tracking your activity, reading your emails, and even capturing webcam footage.
2. Your computer can be used to steal your identity – criminals can use your computer to access your personal information like bank account details, social security number, and other sensitive data.
3. Computers are vulnerable to malware and viruses – these malicious programs can damage or even hijack your computer, leading to data loss or even theft.
4. Computers can be hacked – hackers can gain access to your computer system without you ever knowing, allowing them to steal sensitive information or even take control of your computer.