H is for HAL

[@MacbthPSW]

It's funny how Clarke fought so hard against the IBM->HAL connection when he had nothing to do with naming HAL. Clarke named the computer Athena and "coincidentally", it was going to be an IBM machine before it became murderous. It was Kubrick and his computer scientist consultants who came up with the HAL name. Clarke finally admitted this in a Wired magazine interview.

[@clasqm]

My favourite vid in the series so far!

[@pleappleappleap]

In "The Last Question", they don't accidentally do anything. They recreate the universe after its death, fully intentionally.

[@vylbird8014]

Confusingly there are two stories: The Last Question and The Last Answer. Unrelated, though by the same author. The Last Question does end with the act of creating a new universe, performed by an entity which was once built by humans as a powerful computer but has since re-invented itself countless times over. The Last Answer is an entirely different story. And neither of them is The Nine Billion Names of God, which isn't even by the same author. In The Nine Billion Names of God the monks do intentionally destroy the universe. This was their aim all along. No-one tried to stop them because everyone else regarded them as a sect of harmless weirdos and never imagined there was any possibility they might actually be able to do it.

[@notanut3686]

having videos to watch in the time between your talks is wonderful

[@ekkiplicht7283]

I really love this series of videos, not only because it brings back old memories, but also because I learn a lot new stuff. Excellent work! 🙂

[@StacyClouds]

It may have been cheaper to make HAL voice activcated, but as you say, it adds so much to the film! I love this film

[@TheJamesM]

You're bang on the money about the metaverse stuff - I was saying the exact same thing when they were being hyped up (along with NFTs, etc.). These kinds of interfaces are a way of translating computer activities into something which could be comprehensibly described or depicted using the language of prior art (which was particularly important when the average reader or audience member might never have used a computer). Things are constrained in virtual locations because there's narrative drama to being in the right place at the right time (or not). But in the real world, it's just a layer of obstructive cruft to put between the user and the functionality they've already had much better access to for decades. The idea of a unified virtual world seems appealing, but it offers nothing that wouldn't be better-served by a separation of concerns: things like shopping are more efficient without embodiment, and any value inherent in the embodied experience would be better provided by a game, be that VR or otherwise. Quite apart from all the price and space barriers (as well as it not generally being reasonable to make yourself blind and partially deaf to other occupants of your home), I think a huge problem for VR is the intangibility of it all. A common first experience of VR is to first be wowed by how it looks, and how cool it is for virtual things to exist in relative scale to your own body, followed fairly quickly by being caught out by trying to lean on something that isn't there in reality, or bumping into something which is. It's cool, but it's a mirage, and that only goes so far. It's why I think cockpit-style experiences with appropriately matched hardware controls are the most immersive use of VR. A more sinister side to this sudden industry enthusiasm for getting everyone into metaverses that occurred to me is that it's a way to essentially privately own the universe (albeit a virtual facsimile). I can't help but wonder how much of the motivation is to have an Amazon-like grip on the venue everyone spends their every waking minute. The Internet, for all its ills, is at its heart standards-driven and open, but if Facebook were to succeed in their metaverse attempts, that would essentially be a new Internet that they owned (and it wouldn't be the first time they'd tried to do something like that). Thankfully, so far these ideas have been scuppered by reality, and my hope is that their proponents are undervaluing how much people value the real world. For all that I love computers, I wouldn't want to surrender my life to one.

[@vylbird8014]

The struck me about the Zuckerberg Metaverse presentation too. The longest segment, by quite a margin, was on the commerce of the metaverse - how it would enable virtual fashion, virtual ownership. And the promise that you too might make money there, by crafting virtual goods to sell. It just felt like the most horrible aspect of neoliberalism - that it was designed by people who simply cannot conceive of the notion of 'non-commercial.'

[@Kenionatus]

I think the better example for what Meta is trying is how Google and Apple control the smartphone market.

[@artemis.nnnnnbbbbb]

​@@vylbird8014yeah, silicon valley technoliberalism, an idea that only looks appealing to the tech bros of 2000-2021 when it made everyone in tech very rich, before the post-pandemic collapse (that is a bit minimized by the AI bubble that is very clear how much of a bubble it is)

[@artemis.nnnnnbbbbb]

I'd say of the 2 mainstream uses of VR(ever, the rest is either very niche or of questionable usefulness), games and virtual meeting, games prove to be a successful idea if you have the time, money and environment to play games on relatively pricey hardware (at least for the better gaming experience) in a big enough place to be able to move around a lot while blind, compared to regular gaming that doesn't require the space and has a much better ratio of price to quality and performance and mobile gaming that can be on the go fo those who don't have the time, while virtual meeting is only successful with stay at home nerds on *VR chat* because most people find it more appealing and more normal to meet in person and video calls are usually good enough to cover the rest of the time

[@vylbird8014]

@@artemis.nnnnnbbbbb VR Chat has proven somewhat successful for social chat, but I can point out how much of a failure any attempt at using VR-based meetings in a business has been. For serious productivity, video-conferencing is better. VR Chat is rooted in the assumptions of what you might call classic internet culture: Anonymity and separation from the real world.

[@an3ssh]

Hardware Abstraction Layer(HAL) brings back memories from lower secondary school...oh computer architecture what days were those...these days they are quite forgotten...

[@8_Bit]

I'm pretty sure WOPR, MULTIVAC, and HAL are all backronyms, not acronyms! And shouldn't you have included a spoiler warning for WarGames as well? :) Enjoying this series, keep up the good work.

[@BikeGremlinUS]

That was wonderful. Thank you. :) Looking forward to the next letter.

[@petewindsor4096]

Could you add an honourable mention for another great fictional computer, please: Bomb #20 in Dark Star

[@feicodeboer]

Thanks for this trip down memory lane. 😀

[@SimonPeel]

I'm going to need that Xenomorph plushie. Yes that is the only take-away i have. I forgot to listen after I saw the plushie. That I need.

[@SimonPeel]

Oh god its only £10

[@sandy_knight]

A great episode and HAL was definitely worthy of it but I was a little surprised HTTP didn't get an honourable mention in the 'other acronyms and initialisms starting with H' section. Having 4 letters it's not a TLA I suppose but in the grand scheme of things I'd argue it's very important to the history of computing...

[@PauxloE]

I guess that comes in the "W is for WWW" episode.

[@sandy_knight]

@@PauxloE Yeah, that would make sense 👍 Edit: Interesting fact about WWW, it's the only initialism that's longer than saying the words in full. (Having said that there's bound to be an exception I didn't consider...) Edit->edit: Yes, nobody in tech enunciates all the syllables but amongst the general population...

[@redoktopus3047]

@@PauxloE a truly terrible acronym since it's not only ugly in form but also takes longer to say than the phrase "world wide web" which is abbreviates.

[@PauxloE]

@@redoktopus3047 I agree. It's better in German, we just say "We-We-We", which is the same number of syllables as "World wide web", and easier to pronounce (for Germans).

[@homelessops]

Great, thanks Dylan !

[@Peter-House-Jr]

Very entertaining series! Have you seen the movie Dark Star? There is a great scene where the main characters are arguing with a sentient Bomb who has been armed and refuses to disarm for existential reasons. A truly memorable scene.

[@dindu42]

I sooo wish it was possible to get Hal's voice on my HomePod

[@maximilianlosch7479]

Fantastic episode once again!

[@MrSaydo17]

I am absolutely loving this series!

[@fredgenius]

Thanks Dylan, entertaining and informative. The bit about wild mushrooms - I could add this: "All fungi are edible, some only once". Sorry, can't remember where I heard that, thought it amusing so I filed it away in organic computer.

[@SkylerLinux]

Notably in the 2010 novel they go out of their way to point out that Yes H A L is one off from IBM, but that hasn't anything to do with why HAL was picked. I noticed it immediately on my first read though.

[@barneylaurance1865]

Only at 0:49, wondering if we're going to get HAL for Hypermedia Application Language. But Dylan Beattie has already done a recent video about REST that covers that.

[@m4rt_]

Open the pod bay doors, HAL.

[@GreeneThumbs]

The thumbnail for this video cracks me up

[@allanrichardson1468]

Tourist in London: Where can I find the Cockney tour guide? Guide: IBM!

[@To1ne]

That thumbnail is awesome!

[@davideglass]

Totally agree about Electric Dreams, absolute cheesefest but I love it! Might have to add the song to my karaoke repertoire now...

[@inzyster]

Incidentally, a few months ago I was in Brighton and watched 2001 in an old school cinema, with a balcony and comfy sofas - there was even an intermission halfway! Duke Of York’s it’s called, check it out if you have a chance.

[@autohmae]

Wargames also let to the first US law on computer security: Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 (CFAA) Which maybe did more damage than solve any problems...?

[@bgtyhnmju7]

Halt and Catch Fire

[@OrigamiMarie]

Considering what Chat Roulette turned into in like 3.5 seconds, and what happens on Minecraft servers with no allowlist, it's maybe just as well that we didn't get 3D virtual chatrooms.

[@Kenionatus]

Well... there's VR Chat and public rooms are apparently the delightful combination of screaming children and boarderline porn.

[@TedSeeber]

I really should try voice interface again. I avoided it for years, because cubicle farms are not a reasonable place for a voice interface. But I have worked from home since 2020....

[@CyclingSteve]

Wild Palms (a TV mini-series) had the best VR.

[@justafriend5361]

2:00 And there we have the explanation for those minoliths that appeared out of nowhere: Hollywood.

[@forivall]

I did not know that that was where wardialing and wardriving came from. Huh

[@Stoney_Eagle]

I'm afraid I can't let you do that Dylan

[@stroiman.development]

Never Saw Electric Dreams. Wasn’t that also a game Company? Or did thet make an 80s game of The movie. Definitely seen that handwritten “Electric Dreams “ Things before. Moroder’s music is a rearrangement of JS Bach though.

[@powerdust015lastname4]

Thanks for the spoiler warning, I haven't watched it yet. :-)

[@DefaultFlame]

I do know someone who has a VR headset. He's me. And my best friend too. Haven't use it in a few years though, it's such a pain to clear a large enough space in my living room to use it.

[@DylanBeattie]

You clearly need a virtual living room that can be easily reconfigured in software to give you enough space to wear your VR headset inside it.

[@DefaultFlame]

@DylanBeattie Really loving this series by the way. Love me some computer history told well.

[@DefaultFlame]

@DylanBeattie You know, I've actually never watched 2001, I've only read the book. Seen all the iconic scenes of course, hard not to with 20+ years on the internet.

[@Rx7man]

I thought your fav karaoke song would be Roxanne... Isn't it everyone's favorite???

[@allanrichardson1468]

Not only is HAL a Caesar cipher for IBM, the initials/nickname of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, JEB, form a Caesar cipher for KFC.

[@MonochromeWench]

Virtual Reality and the metaverse will always have trouble because People will expect Star Trek Holodeck like physicality in their virtual Environments if it is supposed to replace doing things in the real world as was the big push for the Metaverse. Using a hand held controller with some haptic feedback is just not the same as actually touching and manipulating something with your hands. Maybe one day we'll all have neural implants that can simulate realistic touch and this will no longer be a problem.

[@AlwaysStaringSkyward]

A modern re-work of War Games would only last about 3 minutes but cost a ton in OpenAI credits. Maybe exhausted AI tokens is what would save the World in the event of the AI induced collapse of humanity?

[@darrinkinney2268]

Nobody every talks about Giorgio Moroder. That made my day. CHASE

[@raysutton2310]

OK this was off the wall but fun, need to relearn my A B C's

[@jholloway77]

Is that a Docker shirt in the font of the band Dokken's logo?

[@TheGeoffable]

Everybody seems to be obsessing about KZbin thumbnails at the moment, but I think that game has now ended 🤣😎

[@autohmae]

My hope is S stands for Sun

[@DylanBeattie]

@@autohmae TIL that Sun Microsystems was originally SUN and stood for Stanford University Networks… I always assumed it was just the word Sun ☀️

[@autohmae]

@@DylanBeattie I guess you had a bit of a sunny disposition about it. 🙂

[@DragoniteSpam]

VR is still a solution looking for a problem. I don't wanna say it'll never become part of our everyday lives, because these things happen sometimes, but when you have technologies like that it doesn't usually matter very much how much money big companies decide to burn on them :p

[@Kenionatus]

I was thinking the same when my dad got a windows phone (I think before the iPhone was a thing). There, it feels like it was exactly a big company throwing a lot of PR behind the product that made it take off.

[@DragoniteSpam]

@@Kenionatus Funnily enough, I remember thinking that the Windows Phones could have done better for themselves if Microsoft had a better sales pitch than "what if your phone, but it ran Windows?" since I feel like even then most people realized that you usually use your phone and desktop for different things. I guess to be fair to them, that's what the Surface laptops eventually ended up looking kind of like, which ended up doing okay.

[@redoktopus3047]

The most shocking scene in 2001 is when Dave and Frank are eating dinner while watching the news on their tablets. The entire time on the ship we see the humans simply going through the mundane motions of life, while the computer does all the things that seem most human. HAL is by far the most interesting entity for the interviewer and does all of the creative things on the ship. He makes plans, does crew diagnoses, plays games, sings songs. Meanwhile Frank and Dave operate almost as automotons. They have no emotions, do as they're told, and almost entirely unreactive. The humans are like robots and the robot is very human. And so much of that is lost on us today because the human things the computer does are now considered normal. We today react the same way that Dave and Frank do, unlike audiences of 1968 who would have been much more perturbed. That scene where they sit at the dinner table together, each watching the same interview of themselves on separate ipads never uttering a word to each other is scarily accurate to the modern day. The humans each talk more to the Alexa who runs the ship than each other.

[@rosso4122]

omfg youtube did that automatic audio translation shit and its just god awful, I was like who hacked your account and posted this video with the cheap audiotrack and what are they going to try and scam me with ._. who ever thought this was a good idea needs to be fired

[@f0ssig]

Hypertext Application Language

[@polares8187]

Sorry Dylan but you are a few thousand years off. In the story of Jason and the Argonauts there is a robot made of bronze who is tasked with protecting Crete from pirates and invaders called Talos. Also Hephaestus created servant women who are made from gold and given the knowledge of gods. Stories of artificial intelligence go way back. Probably there are more even older.

[@muesique]

I'm pretty sure the puristic design of HAL was done by purpose not because of budget issues. When you look what mass of other visuals and innovations Cubric has put in the movie it's obvious that money wasn't really the issue! Btw. in 2001 you first saw kind of tablets and big flat screens.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

Not so big flat screens :) Still have one working since 2001

[@MacbthPSW]

@@dmitripogosian5084 The flat screen the hostess is watching Judo on, in the Aries 1b moon lander, is pretty big, especially for 2001.

[@skeleton_craftGaming]

2001 has been out for 50 years? Mechanical cheese cutters [I assume you're talking about like the giant deli slicers]? Maybe IBM is more amazing than I thought..

[@DylanBeattie]

@@skeleton_craftGaming released in 1968. So technically 56 years.

[@GerardoFurtado]

Just as a curiosity, there's a nice Computerphile video explaining why Asimov's laws cannot be enforced (even in his own book they fail!) and are just that, fiction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYGuqWahiJyZaqM. (btw, that Spaceballs line deserved its own like button!)

[@drmathochist06]

Shouldn't HAL be in the next episode, for IBM? ;) [Edit: ah, you pulled back to that right at the end after I thought you'd dropped the subject. Oh well] More seriously, if you haven't seen it yet you might enjoy Dan Olson's take on the "Metaverse": kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5q9mZemgb2NbrM

[@harrkev]

OK. I'm mad at you now. When you mention "Best Sci-Fi Movie," then Spaceballs SHOULD be on the list of candidates! Still one of my favorite movies. Shame on you. But you are right about Electric Dreams and the soundtrack, so I forgive you.

[@feicodeboer]

The best part is still the scene they watch their own video... and planet of the apes reference.

[@guai9632]

well, is tron an isekai?

[@DylanBeattie]

"Isekai (Japanese: 異世界 transl. 'different world', 'another world', or 'other world') is a sub-genre of fiction. It includes novels, light novels, films, manga, anime, and video games that revolve around a displaced person or people who are transported to and have to survive in another world such as a fantasy world, game world, or parallel universe with or without the possibility of returning to their original world." ...I guess so? I hadn't heard the term until now but based on that Wikipedia summary, I'd say it is.

[@aixtom979]

Well, 3D movies have come and gone, and come and gone, and come and gone multiple times by now. I have experienced the small 3D Boom of the 1970s/80s, and the current one, but have missed the first "Golden Age" of 3D in the 1950s/60s. I think one of the artistic choices that cinematographers make in a movie is to direkt you to view specific things from a specific angle. There is no way to look around or even look behind you in a movie, and even if you can, you then might miss the thing the director wanted you to see, since it's not really 3D, it's just stereoscopy. You have a different picture for the left and right eye, but head movements don't change the picture. The same way that paintings and sculptures are two entire different art forms, but stereoscopic movies are in my opinion just a small sub-genre, like the stereoscope picture viewers were for photography.

[@max_208]

Got straight up jumpscared by the robotic french voice translation, not a big fan

[@DylanBeattie]

@@max_208 …the what?

[@max_208]

There is an alternative audio track for the video in french (my native language) with a bad robotic voice, it got automatically selected for some reason, I usually watch your videos in English.

[@DylanBeattie]

@ ah… that must be a KZbin thing. Yay progress. I promise I shall not attempt to speak French on the internet unless it’s for a very good reason.

[@SaschaWildgrube]

@@DylanBeattie it seems you have enabled audio dubbing on your channel. Please please please deactivate that! KZbin automatically turns your great content into robotic German for me. Not fun I can tell you!