Light Years Ahead | The 1969 Apollo Guidance Computer

[@philippebruno8039]

No fancy bells and whistles, just a simple deck of slides... But an outstanding and passionate communicator who can actually make you feel smart just by listening to him explaining complex things with simple illustrations. Highly recommended!

[@michatroschka]

thats a great point! thats actually a personality trait, to make people feel smart. i experienced that in a physics research institute, if you asked a stupid question there, it was accepted and even approved a great question and explained in detail

[@ginomazzei1076]

Maybe. They do what Naza deems. 🎩

[@JohnSmith-hi2ry]

No narrator talking to you as if your a child. With bright colors and music.

[@steventurvey5626]

When I noted the length of the video I thought to myself, oh well I will just watch until I'm bored. I watched the entire video, fascinating!! The presenter did a brilliant job keeping it a personal and interesting and, that would satisfy a surprisingly wide range of audience expertise.

[@karadan100]

@Jonny Mosquito Strawman at Large Aww bless, you don't understand science in the slightest.

[@brownajb]

When this popped up on my recommended list, I thought that there was no way I’d sit and watch some guy drone on about the Apollo Guidance Computer for 80 minutes. No way possible. But I did watch the whole thing. And I’ll give my boy his props: Robert Willis is an excellent communicator, doing an outstanding job explaining a well-known but still arcane event.

[@stevemacbr]

DITTO - and I even slowed it down at a point to get all the info. - Some good questions from the (very select) audience.

[@omallakas4156]

I knew absolutely nothing about the subject, but I enjoyed this so much I searched and found a couple of other things on this topic to watch.

[@flack3]

After reading your comment I wondered if it was really worth it, here I am 1h20m later confirming that it is.

[@aussieaeromodeler]

he talks like he's explaining it to a kindergarted class

[@omallakas4156]

@@aussieaeromodeler His doing so was a good thing, since I knew absolutely nothing about this before watching him. My interests usually reside in the historical or political realms, I've read some books and watched the standard science documentaries that are generally produced for public consumption, like Cosmos and A Brief History of Time. But this was quite different and very new to me.

[@Maria-hm4xm]

As a programmer at NASA Houston from 1967 to 1973 I really enjoyed Roberts presentation. Brought back memories from a bygone age. His comment about programming in those days being like the wild wild west is very true. In the days before computer science degrees, if you had any computer knowledge, you were hired. A math degree with two computer classes qualified me.

[@AMC2283]

As a nasa programmer could you help me remove “one of truth’s protective layers”?

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

Thank you for all the work you did

[@dimbulb23]

I worked for IBM '68-'98. I parlayed USAF electronics training and experience into a 30 year career digging through dumps, debugging OSs and even writing a bit OS2 Warp. First system I dealt with had 8K of RAM, no disks and punch cards. Caveman Computing made of twigs and small stones.

[@AMC2283]

@@dimbulb23 I don’t believe they did anything more than put a ship in orbit- with people on board I mean

[@BrianBaastrup]

@@AMC2283 truth's protective layer???

[@johnsutherland168]

Having worked on Apollo at MIT/IL, this is an excellent presentation. Very well done. I should also note that while doing the AGC (Apollo Guidance Computer) programming, we had two types of simulations that we could run to test and validate the navigation software. One simulation was completely digital in nature and we ran those simulations on an IBM 360 computer. The second simulation was a real time hardware simulation done in a mock-up of the command module (CM) and the lunar excursion module (LEM). The astronauts would come and get their first training on the AGC at MIT/IL, then get further training in Houston.

[@slow-mo_moonbuggy]

What did you do?

[@johnsutherland168]

@@slow-mo_moonbuggy - I started out doing computer programming and went into leading a small operations group. I was responsible for the delivery of the released programs to NASA and the prime subcontractors.

[@Surya_Virya]

@@johnsutherland168 amazing

[@telx2010]

Then you must know it's all made up.

[@wheretimehasnovalue9343]

may i ask if unix was the os used

[@grumblekin]

This is the best thing that the algorithm has recommended this year. Good job, KZbin

[@filminginportland1654]

grumblekin No doubt!! I wish I had recommendations like this more often. No politics, just good, nerdy fun that’s strangely inspiring and uplifting. We need more of that in our world.

[@filminginportland1654]

Richard Kushlake You just had to ruin it, didn’t you? It’s bullshit like this that causes OP to post their surprise at this gem. A video that’s actually contributing something interesting, unlike you or me.

[@Paul-eb2cl]

Truth!

[@AugustoRolon]

Al fin KZbin ha ganado a los you tubers, que están inundando el sistema de vídeos tontos, y los vídeos realmente interesantes quedaban enterrados. Ahora el algoritmo está buscando en sus arcas y sacándolos a la luz lentamente.

[@knexpert100]

Comment to appease the algorithm. More of this please, oh AI gods of media consumption.

[@kevvywevvywoo]

The joy for me in this talk is watching the expert clearly admiring and respecting the design of his forebears. His enthusiasm is infectious.

[@philiprowney]

I admire his conviction also. I have Asperger's and can tell another, he is making an epic effort. My hat is off to him. I took drama to try to get more confidence, after several stage appearances I still could not have presented this. [ and I'm a 53 year old space geek who knew all the dates, Shepard, Gagarin, Tereshkova et al ] I still feel a little of his nerves, bless him. Passion will out ;-)

[@jamesfrancom8100]

yeah but he had the wrong slide up while he discussed core magnetic memory

[@Jonas-bn8gp]

​@@jamesfrancom8100ť 6

[@raphaels2103]

00pppppmmpmppp😊😊😊😊 pool 😊​@@jamesfrancom8100

[@richardrazgaitis6055]

I was part of the Launch Team at Cape Kennedy for all the Apollo's from #1 (sadly there for the fire on Pad 34) through #11, the first lunar landing. I've met a number of the lunar astronauts including Buzz Aldrin. So I knew bits and pieces of this story, and recall vividly the real-time experience of watching the landing and hearing reference to those alarms on descent of 11, but never knew the whole story until this wonderful presentation here. This was a great combination of technical details and overall mission operation. Really really well done. The speaker mentioned 400,000 people who had worked on Saturn / Apollo. The exact number is probably unknowable but the conclusion that cite leads to is right: it took the energy, invention, and genius of an incredible number of people of all walks of life that solved thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of never-before-solved problems, all in a very very short time period. President Kennedy's speech was May 24, 1961 giving the challenge of the Landing by the end of the decade, and it was achieved twice (Apollo 11 and 12) before the end of 1969. And getting men-to-the-moon, circumnavigating it, was accomplished before the end of 1968 in Apollo 8 (Borman, Lovell, and Anders). All this, and the soon to follow Apollo fights and landings, was accomplished despite the massive setback of the deaths of three key astronauts (Grissom, White, and Chaffee) in January 1967 in the very first Apollo command module, when at that time no lunar module was even near flight ready, and Apollo 1 was atop the smaller / simpler Saturn 1B (earth orbit only rocket), while undergoing 'only' electrical testing weeks before even the first earth-orbit-only flight was to be attempted. Richard Nixon, who was President at the time of Apollo 11, called it "the greatest week in history since the Creation;" that's a little over the top...but Apollo 11 does rank somewhere pretty high in the historical list of achievements.

[@maxsmith695]

35,000,000 worked on Apollo program, so they all knew the details.

[@wanderingfido]

Isn't there a rather curious gap in careful tests between Apollo 10 and 11? Where are the expected attempts to land an unmanned LEM? And then try returning one? Those tests would seem to be necessary. To bolster the needed confidence before committing to a manned mission.

[@maxsmith695]

@@wanderingfido -When you are doing the pretend version, no need.

[@sheliumorg5189]

I've been reading youtube threads for years. You Are The First Person I've Ever Seen Come Forward And Admit To Working On The Scam. Where are the other 399,999 ?

[@maxsmith695]

@@sheliumorg5189 ROFLMAO. Nice.

[@KrefelderBusfahrer]

KZbin algorithm: Here, watch this 80 minute talk about the Apollo Guidance Computer. Me: Pfff, yeah right. *Click* Me: You know, actually I am an Apollo Guidance Computer expert myself. Thanks for this awesome presenation! Really well done!

[@timjoseph887]

I think we can talk for more minutes about how engineers built a Texas Instruments calculator with oohs and aahs. Why couldn’t Neil and buzz explain this in any scientific way? Using hand cotroller to change the landing site? Okkk

[@ross302ci]

I love that this is a conference presentation in a room with maybe maybe a few dozen people, and now it's been viewed by millions. The fact that this fantastic lecture didn't have to exist in only a moment is one of the coolest things about the age we live in. It's a double-edged sword for sure, but I love it for stuff like this. You have a real gift for communicating, Robert!

[@georgefarr3906]

THis was an absolutely fantastic lecture. I’ve watched hours of Apollo footage and read dozens of books about the program and yet learned so much from this young man. I hope he writes a book because his research and thoughts need to be memorialized beyond KZbin. Bravo young man!

[@booshong]

What other Apollo content/books/documentaries would you recommend?

[@markwilson2992]

I would like to see his take on the liftoff from the moon and docking with the command module.

[@jeremyturley1276]

You do realize it’s not real though right ? This didn’t actually happen. If you believe a little box with the computing power of a gameboy got to the moon then best of luck to you. This kid did a good job of explaining what supposedly happened…but it makes things all the more clear that it was a crock of shit

[@jeremyturley1276]

@@booshong a funny thing happened on the way to the moon Astronauts gone wild

[@mikeheller2321]

I met Gene Kranz in the Houston airport about 5 years ago. Built up the courage to ask him about the 1202 alarm - how cool that they made that quick decision. He said the back-up crew saw the error a week before - was fresh in people's minds. Mr. Kranz walked me through the landing. Huge huge thrill. I watched this to learn more about that 1202 sucker. Really great job here.

[@Hypersonik]

That's an amazing story and extremely jealous! Amazing!

[@Daniel_Lemire]

This is absolutely right. While I'm envious of Mike's getting to meet Gene in person, I've enjoyed reading the book Gene Authored: Failure is not an Option. If you are into the moon missions stories, this is a must read. He details this scenario quite well and helps to tell the mission control side of the story.

[@suekennedy8917]

Did you ask him why the 1202 alarm did not occur during testing. Dont matter anyway because nobody walked on the moon.

[@karlmadsen3179]

@@suekennedy8917 There's one of these in every crowd.

[@escaperoomleander1948]

@@suekennedy8917 12 Americans did. No Communists.

[@johnnyzippo7109]

This man’s lecture on this topic is without a doubt the best that I have seen .

[@tekinsal8396]

I'd never imagine I'd sit and watch this for an hour, but I actually did, this guy must be really good.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Robert Wills seems like a great man! I found everything fascinating and I don’t have any technical knowledge. I do remember watching the moon landing when I was ten years old. My dad told us that we would tell our children and grandchildren about this moment. Unfortunately, my dad didn’t remember saying this.

[@atlanticx100]

@@mitchellbarnow1709 Being in the UK I was 10 at the time my parents woke me up at four in the morning to watch the first steps out of the lander. It is something even at 61 years of age as if it was yesterday.

[@warplanner8852]

He certainly loves his subject. It's rare that one sees a millennial with such reverence for history!

[@KRYPTOS_K5]

I never imagine someone of my own generstion saying such a rubbish phrase. Only social network millennials...

[@KRYPTOS_K5]

@@mitchellbarnow1709 Maybe you could be interested in a testimony from a boy exactly ten years old like yourself -- however watching on TV in Brazil. I was watching on the American eagle arriving to the surface of the moon with my mother. My mother (who was a religious woman with college degree) was truly amazed. In a very emotional moment (when Armstrong first set foot upon the moon) she stood on her knees and began to pray. I felt it totally improper and amazed by the scene asked her why she was praying. She answered me that she was praying for the men. I asked again "why"? And she complemented saying "I am praying for the men because from now onwards only the men will be totally responsible for their own fate."

[@kerrykikker]

Unmissable You Tube Gold. Riveting story, timeless historic topic, enthusiastic presenter, easily understood info. enjoy.

[@knexpert100]

Blessed by the Algorithm. Bow to the Neon gods we made... BOW TO THE 1969 APOLLO GUIDANCE COMPUTER

[@ytc3182]

And... Full of lies. Salty brit

[@stevewhite3424]

@Mark Smileer everybody bow down to the cut and paster.

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@Mark Smileer *DOPEY, SPAMMING,* flunts!

[@petermurray2414]

When asked how to explain complicated scientific matters to the public, Einstein replied that no scientist knew what he was doing unless he could walk out on to the street and explain i t the first man he met. Robert Willis is an outstanding communicator and would please Einstein.

[@kdfox2007]

Damn Straight!

[@fredherfst8148]

My mantra: If you can't describe your great idea on the back of a used napkin..it won't sell or work!

[@37rainman]

@@fredherfst8148 To be more correct, but maybe not pc, i recall he said: "if you cannot explain it to a barmaid, perhaps you dont ................",

[@fredherfst8148]

@@37rainman ...I've had a few bar maids explain a few things to me!

[@MikStorer]

Still worthwhile as principle but isn't Einstein "This writer has heard this quote for years and always grown up with the assumption that it was, in fact, from Einstein himself. In hindsight, it should make sense that Einstein never said this as his work remains some of the most complex and thorough explanations of modern physics. Variants of this quote have been attributed to Ernest Rutherford when Rutherford said: "it should be possible to explain the laws of physics to a barmaid."

[@flyingdutchy01]

never would i have thought i'd watch through 1,5 hours about the Apollo Computer but here I am. Great content!

[@bobwhite1384]

I was employed at Raytheon in 67-68, and was offered an opportunity to work on this computer as a service engineer. Did not take the assignment because it involved a relocation. Bad decision. But my memory of actually viewing one of the computers, under construction, has not faded. This video is a great relating of the computer's history!

[@martinlulak9601]

I just can't understand the fact why has this only less than 3000 views. It's one of the most awesome and interesting talks I have ever seen! I just love Apollo Guidance Computer and everything about Apollo and this talk is just super interesting! Thank you Robert and thank you tnmoc!

[@robertwills8051]

Thanks Martin! I'll be giving it virtually to a couple of other organisations over the next couple of months, so more people will be able to hear it :-)

[@omallakas4156]

Good question Robert, I'm not at all knowledgeable about computers or rocket engineering, but I still got the gist of this talk and found it entertaining. To be honest I just recently stumbled onto this youtube motherload of people explaining all kinds of aerospace technology, and have been binge watching. This is the third one today I've watched regarding the early computers NASA used. I usually watch the history documentaries, love the stuff Yale Courses posts, always liked watching stuff on the universe like Sagan's Cosmos, and Hawkins, Brief History of Time, and every now and then something on technology made for the general public. But I too couldn't help but notice that these always get fewer views than those far fetched conspiracy or new age mystical woo woo posts, and this all too popular ancient aliens type nonsense is anathema to someone who loves history. I figure at the rate were going one day the movie Idiocracy is going to be a documentary about modern intellectual development. After all so many highly educated people at a UN conference to save the planet, as well as many university students signed a petition to ban dihydrogen monoxide. Needless to say I don't feel too optimistic about them fixing the place up any time soon. :)

[@LastV8Interceptors]

Come back and take a look martin. 43k views 3 months later.

[@martinlulak9601]

@@LastV8Interceptors Justifiably!!

[@robertwills8051]

@@LastV8Interceptors Yes, I always intended for this to be a light-hearted and engaging tribute to the women and men who worked on the hardware and software of this machine, and I'm delighted so many people have dropped by to see it, or at least part of it :-)

[@jeremypark1818]

This man is a great speaker/presenter. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[@MattHaleUK]

He sounds a bit like a CBBC presenter though.

[@MattHaleUK]

"Awgowivumz"

[@jeremypark1818]

@@MattHaleUK hahaha apowwo furteen.

[@MattHaleUK]

@@jeremypark1818 lol

[@edkokosko1759]

Whole heartedly agree 👍

[@bando404]

This is my favorite video over 30 minutes on all of KZbin! I am an Apollo nerd but all the pop literature I have found is focused on the rockets and the people. That’s very cool too, but this stuff is not prevalent enough in pop literature. This talk is exactly right. I love it!

[@BamSarnett]

As an aerospace engineer and computer programmer I enjoyed this outstanding presentation greatly, particularly for busting some of the long-standing myths about the Apollo 11 landing. Robert did a great job of holding my rapt attention the entire 80+ minutes.

[@mulder2400]

Pure gibberish, all the Apollo space programs were faked.

[@FatManDoubleZero]

Robert Wills is a CIRCUS CLOWN!!!!!! NASA'S APOLLO MOON LANDER NEVER "ORBITED OR LANDED ON THE MOON," PERIOD. The Poorly Designed Moon Lander was incapable of A CONTROLLED LANDING, ON TOP OF ANY SURFACE (including the NASA Space test grounds here on Earth) without CRASHING AND BURNING!! Neil Armstrong was nearly killed in the FAILED TESTING EXERCISES OF THIS CRAFT. His "rocket ejector seat with parachute" saved his life. The computer software of the late 1960's had less than 1,000th the sophistication and computational power of what we today have in our PERSONAL CELL PHONES. THE MOON LANDINGS WERE "FAKED." We could NOT LAND ON THE MOON in 1969. And today we still can’t fly 250,000 miles to the Moon, through the Van Allen Radiation Belts, and return to Earth. This is why we haven’t heard of a NASA scheduled “return flight to the Moon” in over 50 years - because the technology never existed. The Astronauts would need LEAD SHIELDING FOUR FEET THICK to protect against imminent death. For NASA to claim that using "tin foil shielding" in 1969 provided sufficient radiation protection for human life, while flying to the Moon and back, is AN INSULT TO MY INTELLIGENCE!!!! A current KZbin Video about NASA's recent space development project named "ORION" (cancelled by President Obama) is very telling. On this video, NASA space craft design engineer "Bill Smith" ADMITS that the severe radiation problem caused by the Van Allen Radiation Belts prevents safely sending humans to the Moon - until a solution can be found. Supposedly, NASA already SOLVED this radiation problem back in 1969????? Listen to Neil Armstrong's supposed "live audio recordings" of his lunar landing craft touching down of the Moon's surface. I noticed there is virtually ZERO background noise inside the landing craft as the descent rockets are being fired. In "real life" the landing descent rockets would have produced a DEAFENING NOISE that would have "DROWNED-OUT" much of Neil Armstrong's recorded voice. THAT NEVER HAPPENED. Can you spell the word F-R-A-U-D!!!!!

[@Toast934]

@@FatManDoubleZero tell me you failed highschool science without telling me you failed highschool science

[@Amphibrick]

@@FatManDoubleZero It's actually very simple. The USSR would have called out the USA as hoaxers if the USA had NOT pulled this off, especially since the USSR had orbited the first human being in all of history in 1961. The USSR"s pride would not have let the USA off the hook on a faked moon landing, let alone SIX moon landings through 1972. Why would the USSR congratulate the USA on such accomplishments? Surely, the entire USSR were most likely smarter than you and I! The USSR sent their congratulations to the USA. if the USA faked it, WOW, congratulations would be in order regardless of whether the USA went to the moon or not!

[@spirituelleOOinfo]

and how would that computer know where the spacecraft aktually is ??? it can not calculate anything without getting actual data. in the vid this clown is talking that the astronauts did activate it "just at the right moment" - but thats nonsense because when they are flying with such a speed they would have needed the right mikrosecond to press the button... so - this computer is just another proof of the moonlanding fake..

[@DigitalNomadOnFIRE]

These have to be the best audience questions from any talk ever.

[@danevans8981]

One of the best talks I've ever seen, thank you Robert and TNMoC for doing this.

[@filminginportland1654]

Agreed! Thanks for posting.

[@dennismartin4659]

I have worked in software for over 30 years and have been a spaceflight enthusiast for about 40. As with most available NASA mission audio, I have listened to the A11 FD loop 100 times I bet. I have read a lot about the AGC but this is such a great and clear presentation to help understand what every flight phase, AGC interaction and callout meant.

[@buildersandinteriorexperts]

When according to Gus's own family he was murdered in the same capsule he criticised.

[@dariusz078]

@@buildersandinteriorexperts Gus experienced loss of communication BEFORE the fire while sitting in test capsule. Common sense tells you that loss of communication must be the result of fire. But here conveniently It happens other way around. In 60 ties USA was run by the same mentality as in USSR Stalinist time. Same type of mass murderers and evil dispeakable creatures. Faking moon landing in studio was all they were able to achieve.

[@telx2010]

And you still believe it.😂

[@ThomasKundera]

@@telx2010 : What is there to "believe" here? This is an actual description of AGC and Apollo 11 landing.

[@captainzeppos]

Got here for a minute, stayed for the entire show. Absolutely outstanding.

[@alwatt9367]

Robert is a real talent.. He should be picked up by a TV Broadcaster ....Reminds me of James Burke on the moon landing Broadcast by the BBC.. Excellent video Robert is brilliant

[@DaDaDaddeo]

This is the best presentation yet of the AGC. The whole concept of sharing memory for different jobs is explained so well. We take for granted the almost unlimited memory and speed of computers for executing tasks continuously. Yet, the MIT group was satisfied with sharing and allocating the scan times to multiple jobs. I is perplexing to imagine how PID was performed with such limited computing power.

[@sootikins]

"scan time" "PID" those are very familiar terms. Are you by any chance a PLC / industrial controls guy?

[@jazzper_nl]

This really tickled the inner nerd in me. The story, your presentation, the sharp questions and answers. Totally worth the watch!

[@thompsonmatthew]

This guy predicted pretty much every question I would have asked, and answered them... Impressive.

[@maxflight777]

What a super young man. A great presenter. Cisco are lucky to have him. Thanks for posting this video. Compelling content.

[@timr8473]

I saw Robert giving a more recent version of this talk and I think it was one of the best presented and most engaging on-line talks I have ever seen, absolutely fascinating. As I understood what these designers and programmers achieved back in the mid sixties with such limited computing resources it really gave one a sense of 'awe and wonder' - how did they do so many new things in such a small time with almost no prior art.

[@robertwills8051]

Thanks Tim, I'm glad you enjoyed the online version I gave more recently. Yes, what they achieved with such limited computing power is very impressive. It's why phrases like "There's more computing power in your wristwatch than on Apollo" annoy me, because they miss the point. The AGC had an amazing amount of power, ingenuity and good design; they just achieved that with remarkably few transistors!

[@LastV8Interceptors]

@@robertwills8051 Cherished over-simplifications always end up that way. I want to ask you how timesharing was managed for the 7 job stack, but instead will go dig through the github code and see if it is timers in an interrupt, a giant loop, or what! It is probably possible to emulate the entire Apollo computer in software running on something like an old 8-bit MOS 6502, but it would not have all the redundancy, IO, and other features that make such an emulation nearly meaningless. I know you have to have seen them, but if you have not see what KZbinr 'curious marc' and his team of spacegeeks have been doing you are missing out on something truly special! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHy2kpt3pLR_mrc

[@korky-7349]

Robert this is enlightening in every sense of the word ! Thank you , and if i may say,we all would like to hear more such great presentations from you!

[@jamesedwards6173]

Indeed, some of the old-time engineering achievements really are immensely impressive. The AGC is one such astonishing feat, and learning more about it reminded me of another incredible video on old tech (at the time, though, it was outrageously innovative and prescient) that I've watched here on KZbin: look up "The Mother of All Demos, presented by Douglas Engelbart (1968) ". (Note: also from the 1960s.)

[@LastV8Interceptors]

@@jamesedwards6173 Fascinating video. I sadly do not have the patience\time to watch the entirety right now. It immediately reminded me of reading Ivan Sutherland's 1957(?) thesis on computer graphics.

[@abstractalgo]

You can only imagine the amount of time it took to be able to put this kind of presentation together. Great stuff!!

[@mattierenton701]

I love this guys presenting style, the way he stops and thinks for a second after being asked a question and no uuuuuuummmming and ahhhhhing all the time. Brilliantly clear and concise, the talk just flew by, and was balanced spot on. Thankyou youtube for throwing this at me, and thankyou tnmc for an amazing talk

[@drawmaster77]

yes it's definitely a skill of a good talker being able to avoid filler words.

[@captaincrunch5201]

I used to work as a real time programmer with hundreds of I/O and a mix of high & low level languages plus a rudimentary interrupt mechanism, and not until this brilliant video did I realise the similarities with the Apollo system. Many of the concepts brought back professional memories! This video (or a customised version) should be on the school curriculum!

[@thattubesound2214]

All my life, I've tried to find an explanation of the Apollo 11 computer that a mere mortal like myself could understand. This talk is absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much for this presentation and a very special thank you to to this young genius for bringing it to us. I've watched it twice already! Michael from Champaign, Illinois, USA.

[@coma13794]

I bet some might judge the speaker on first appearance with his small quirks and deliberate pauses... but by God that man can present. What an absolute page turned! His ability to take a complex process and break it down, keeping you comfy the whole time is perfect. I hope he knows how much people enjoyed and appreciated. Thankful that YT exists... what a shame if only that small room full of ppl saw him!

[@papalegba6796]

Ok ChatGPT guy 😂

[@coma13794]

@@papalegba6796 actually I do use chatGPT to help with coding and system admin work, but, no, not with a #$#@$ YT comment. Was just being nice and I appreciate the work he put into his presentation.

[@boblowrey8266]

You're absolutely right! I was astounded and pleased! A brilliant young man!

[@JohnBerthoty]

Being a retired programmer + being at the splashdown site of Apollo 11 (AND Apollo 10) = Loved this presentation! Well done!

[@1967bigjohnny]

Was it not the case the tech at the time it was solid state tech rather than modern tech , i know they are going back to solid state for several aplications , John

[@Ðogecoin]

Hi

[@FixitDave]

Robert is a passionate presenter and when he speaks about the subject he is able to portray the events in such a simplistic and understandable way to anybody who is watching...very captivating and enjoyed every second!

[@damnthisuser]

Absolutely correct. I'm not remotely knowledgeable about this but I'm engrossed in what he's presenting

[@LMacNeill]

Wow! Seriously the most understandable and thorough presentation I’ve seen on the “1202 problem” that Apollo 11 had. Technical enough, but not supremely so; instructional without being pedantic; and interesting and engaging. Well done! Completely enjoyed it!

[@strata114]

Beautifully presented 🎁

[@John-wd5cb]

The real modules cannot be found anywhere. Maybe we should ask Trump.

[@LMacNeill]

@@John-wd5cb The real computers were in the Lunar Module -- half of which got left on the Moon, and half of which is either in orbit around the Sun or crashed back onto the Lunar surface after being separated from the Command/Service Module.

[@sethagreen]

My grandpa was a programmer for NASA at this time. He was incredibly involved with this project. Thanks for putting this together. With him gone, I can't ask him questions that you were able to answer for me!

[@TechnologyOZ]

Thank you KZbin recommendations algorithm.

[@wraith8323]

Youve got a point, dont see a world where I would search for this on my own lmao

[@registerme8217]

And a multiple nerdgasm..

[@tanner882]

Status quo as usual, keeping it nice and boring with the propaganda 👍

[@stack3r]

@@tanner882 yeah guys this is all fake! Lol

[@steves2694]

Best recommendation ever.

[@marearp]

The Apollo Guidance Computer: "I need 55W and I flew the Apollo missions to the moon and back" My GTX 1080: "I consume 150W and Cyberpunk scares me"

[@AltheRad]

maybe also bitbusters? pretty funny, 4sure

[@joesretrostuff]

Yeah I have an RTX 3070 and Cyberpunk still scares it

[@thegreathadoken6808]

Then there can only be sensible one conclusion: What's going on in your GPU's calculation of Cyberpunk's graphics is orders of magnitude more than what's going on in the AGC's calculations for the moon missions. Which isn't a dismissive handwaving of your comment or the moon missions, quite the opposite: It's a plea for others not to dismiss what games are doing in terms of the technology powering them. It just shows the advanced math going on in modern gaming, and how something as profound in human advancement as going to the moon isn't necessarily more complicated in computing power requirements than a piece of entertainment.

[@JinwooYoon1217]

@@thegreathadoken6808 That's some wise shit.

[@MrCrunkedude2]

@@JinwooYoon1217 aaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[@krabkrabkrab]

I watched the moon landing live as a 15 year old. So many questions that in 52 have never been answered to my satisfaction. This answers those questions. Thanks, and also I might remark that I'm envious of Wills' speaking talent. I was captivated.

[@leapmedia3713]

Your live video relayed from half a million km away by 0.5kb of ram. Give me a break

[@carlmax46]

What makes you think a 15yo would know how a complicated device works. one that was designed by Doctoral Engineers and Mathematicians.

[@Alex-kh8zj]

@@leapmedia3713 u don't need lots of ram when u know almost exactly what you want to do

[@boropark12]

I think this teacher gives a great delivery. He's very precise, down to earth (no pun intend) and has a way to make complicated things very simple. I'm Very grateful to have learned these new things. 🙏

[@tnmoc]

Thanks! 😃

[@DennisMurphey]

Out Flipping Standing, I worked on the 1st CT Scanner in 1975 and we knew and followed many of these lessons for reliable, life saving imaging in CT Scanners. Yes, this was a brilliantly designed and executed briefing. I am shocked to see such a bright young fellow capable of a clear, understandable speech to such an old obscure subject of monumental importance. Just outstanding!!!!!!! Dennis in Virginia

[@cyberlord64]

This was surprisingly entertaining. I mean it's a movie sized presentation and yet I somehow wish it were longer. The presenter was great, clearly very knowledgeable in this area, there was synergy with the audience, actual interesting questions and observations during the q&a. What can I say, it's just a 10 out of 10 from me. Will definitely rewatch it in the future. These kinds of little gems is what restores my faith in youtube and it's declining quality of content...

[@evan8654]

Agreed, interesting content is getting buried in garbage.

[@AhhMishMoneypenny]

No way am I watching a vid for 1.5 hours….1.5 hours later…that was really interesting! Great presentation. 👍

[@JS-TexanJeff]

What a fantastic, informative, entertaining talk! Excellent job by an enthusiastic presenter that leaves the viewer wanting more!

[@Kennymac8251]

Thought it was going to be very dry. Could not stop watching. Utterly fascinating. As someone that watched this live on tv at the time I never knew what really was happening at the time. Thanks for the video.

[@Dont_Gnaw_on_the_Kitty_1]

For the 1202 alarms the bug occurred as follows. The rendezvous radar was correctly powered up in case of abort. This was always the case when simulated on the ground. But the module used two AC power busses and during sim both were powered from ground power AC, each bus being in phase. The AC was used as the clock signal for the data from various I/O devices including the radar. However during flight these busses where differently configured as out of phase and this caused the data on the alternate bus to be shifted 1 bit. So now the AGC was recieving complete garbage data from the alternate bus which never occurred during ground testing. This was why the bug was never picked up.

[@ptitera]

@peter stimpson But then you will have to switch it on in a hurry and you will not know for sure it works correctly. Abort is very time critical.

[@ptitera]

@peter stimpson Problem is, problem was somewhere else. It was not radar constantly sending "I hear nothing" message. It was mismatch of frequency phase between radar position detection circuits and computer interface. Because of that phase difference radar was constantly signalizing that it moves +/- some small angle. This signals caused a lot of interrupts (or better stealed cycles) in AGC.

[@jamesrobertson9597]

I had always heard that Armstrong made the conscience decision to leave the rendezvous radar on in case of abort.

[@ptitera]

@@jamesrobertson9597 According to this article arstechnica.com/science/2019/07/no-a-checklist-error-did-not-almost-derail-the-first-moon-landing/ powering up the radar was established procedure to lessen the work overload in case of abort.

[@Tawadeb]

Thank you

[@escalera601]

Excellent talk. Cisco is lucky to have such a talented software engineer.

[@hamobu]

Thanks presenter's mom!

[@zholud]

He should quit Cisco and work for ZyXell. Waste of talent to work for Cisco.

[@Joskemom]

This guy is excellent. Damn we need brilliant guys like this who can just explain things with so much ease. He needs to spend some time teaching and sharing his knowledge as he does his work at Cisco.

[@jacklewis100]

I thought he was Cisco from 'Flash' doing Richard Ayeode's voice :-)

[@hamobu]

@Mark Smileer do you honestly believe in flat earth?

[@notexactlyrocketscience]

his obvious expertise and enthusiasm is great to watch. some great back and forth too with the good questions

[@TandaMadison]

What a wonderful talk. As a firmware designer, I have such amazing respect for the folks who did all of this in the early days without having a history of embedded system concepts to lean on.

[@robj1646]

In July 1969 I was 15 years young and my dad, my brother and I had chained ourselves to our B&W TV and watched it happening live. Your presentation has given this thrilling event much more depth, after all these years. Thank you so much!

[@Stefan-gh7xr]

Yes it was a nice hollywood production. Sorry to destroy your illusions. It is time humanity wakes up.

[@evelynlima5616]

@@Stefan-gh7xr go get treatment 🤨

[@sandweiler4640]

I hope this guy will teach one day in a famous University with an insane salary. He will deserve every penny.

[@anthonybrett]

He wont get to unfortunately, the Universities are teaching us that 2+2 = 5 now. He's just not "post modern" enough. ;)

[@voornaam3191]

@@anthonybrett You forgot the i squared in that equasion. If you don't understand, please don't respond. IQ distribution in homo sapiens is just not fair. Too many are bloody stupid. Got that? Not your fault.

[@anthonybrett]

@@voornaam3191 Its spelt "Equation" by the way. Not "equasion". What were you saying about IQ distribution? lol

[@stepaushi]

@@anthonybrett Its --> It's

[@anthonybrett]

@@stepaushi lol, thanks! I can live with some lazy punctuation errors though.

[@dr.jimdunnigan2784]

I watched Armstrong bring the Eagle to the moon when I was 11 years old. This was an amazing story of how it happened. Thank you.

[@daspacechoechechoz9028]

I'm not sure how I got here...but I love it.

[@barkatthemoonlunatic1715]

Open the pod bay doors....

[@bobowzki]

Me too..

[@voornaam3191]

The Apollo guidance computer just put you on the moon. That is how you got there. Are you familiar of the concept of DUH? You are worth it. Duh!!!!

[@barkatthemoonlunatic1715]

@@voornaam3191 well...that made mucho sense...

[@BrentWatkins-creative-services]

For decades I have longed for this kind of breakdown of how the guidance computer actually worked. I am so glad I finally found someone who could explain it in terms I could understand. THANK YOU!

[@sirmalus5153]

Unfortunately, the one thng he didn't mention was that the actual landing proggramme was written by a team in the UK, NOT by american proggrammers working it out. My old neighbour worked in the company in england at the time, and he remembers talking to the engineers who actually wrote the code used to land on the moon. The americans of course wanted the whole thing to be "american", so no mention of the British expertise was allowed. American hardware went to the moon, but only thanks too British science.

[@kimholm4607]

This is the first time I have seen the AGC onion peeled with such clarity - every stage is deeply understood and then simplified for ME :) - Thanks to Robert, thank you!

[@MediaBrainwashDOTcom]

Wouldn't it be amazing if they could actually set up simulated inputs and operate one of the few survivors of the 100-200 units manufactured? Oh, that's right, these are all non-repeatable experiments crafted to support a false narrative. I don't know how much space exploration has occurred, but I do know most of what NASA tells us is FAKE.

[@brucemcnutt8292]

Videos like this represent the best of what KZbin has to offer the world.

[@Sadiquecat]

I really appreciate the way he speaks. When asked a question he pauses and thinks about the answer, not as easy as it might seem.

[@gonzalobarrogil4246]

I'm not an English speaker. My language is castelain; in fact, English it's hard to understand and write for me (I apologize if my writing has errors), but Robert Wills presentation was very clear for me, from start to end. The best explanation about the AGC I ever heard ¡Thank you! Regards from Buenos Aires.

[@KenPapai]

Cheers -- so awesome! So wonderful!

[@barkatthemoonlunatic1715]

Bueno.

[@brianletter3545]

(I apologize if my writing has errors) You point was put as clearly as is possible. Apology quite unnecessary!

[@voornaam3191]

Huh? Castelain in South America? That is like a version of Dutch in the RSA! Great you keep your Castelain alive! Muy bien! Having a mother language AND a second language is very very valuable. Reading English will be easier for you, than for a one language person. Really, it helps you. So, teach all children Castelain AND Brazil (or Spanish perhaps), please. You can explain to them later, it is not only about keeping this nice culture alive, bilingual kids have a certain advantage. Maybe you think that normal, believe me, you are lucky to speak Castelain. Learning other languages (even Hebrew or Russian) is easier for you. Your brain is more ready for a new language! Get your kids speaking your language!

[@gonzalobarrogil4246]

@@voornaam3191 I didn't want to mislead you. Maybe it's just a matter of terminology, but Castelain (Castellano) is the official language in the Argentine Republic. but it's also correct to call it Spanish (Español). There are little local idiom diffeferences, like using "Vos" instead of "Tu" (You) or verbs like "Sos" instead of "Eres" (singular, you are) and "Tenés" instead of "Tienes" (singular, you have) but essentially it's the same language. I Just don't like to use Spanish because i'm not spanish and in Spain there are other languages like Catalan, Galician, etc., and i think is like to call "British" the language of the americans, south africans, oceanics, etc. Call it whatever you prefer, Castelain or Spanish, but unfortunately it's the only language i speak fluently.

[@KD-lr5po]

Wow, this is genuinely one of the best presentations i've ever seen. The level of detail and how the things are explained are phenomenal! Great job!

[@kempez2]

What a fantastic talk from someone clearly passionate and so knowledgeable. Particularly impressive handling the (very interesting) questions - makes it clear that you are speaking from a deep understanding of the subject. Thanks to TNMOC for making it available.

[@alphascorpii185]

That's brilliant, one of the best conference I've ever heard, so clear. This young man speaks like a book. Bravo

[@DavidSmith-il1sh]

Robert Willis presents a brilliantly clear lecture. A testament to the power of abstraction - his diagramming focusing on essential points. Must see for computer science students (and faculty/teachers)

[@williammcnamee3360]

Robert Wills' coverage of the AGC is suburb. He tells a story in an engaging way and, having viewed many videos on this subject, he conveys the most precise technical coverage of this computer, beautifully woven into a riveting narrative. Many thanks.

[@poldermanp]

The best presentation i have seen in years!

[@RonHeusdens]

@@poldermanp agree!

[@Lino1259]

you mean superb, right? :D

[@stevewhite3424]

@Mark Smileer I am curious, do you think that pasting your diatribe in every thread is somehow making you look smarter?

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@Mark Smileer *DOPEY, SPAMMING,* flatturds!

[@davewilkirson2320]

Well done. I'm a retired EE and enjoyed this presentation. I worked with Protel for some bit of time. A derivative of Pascal for the DMS product (Northern Telecom). I was 12 in 1969. Glued to the TV screen at each launch.

[@StationGarageSt]

Thank you Robert. Really fascinating lecture, from that lady "knitting" Apollo's binary memory to the Q&A! I was just 11yrs old when Apollo11 landed. Watching the black and white TV with my dad, we sat fascinated. My father casually mentioned (being himself then 63ys old (b.1906))that he remembered the world being in awe at Charles Lindbergh's NY -Paris non stop flight in 1927, just 18yrs after Louis Bleriot's first flight across the channel. ".....to sit here with you son, seeing a man on the moon in my own lifetime is really quite unbelievable".

[@petercohen1156]

I too didn't expect to sit through the whole presentation, but I did & was sorry when it ended! - A fascinating story, engagingly told, many thanks

[@arthurbooty7542]

In 1971 I was working on designing computer-controlled telephone exchanges and the computers we used and programmed were almost exact copies of those Robert described, including techniques of re-using memory locations for functions which were time-separated.

[@MikeTSager]

Same year as you I was working on a telex exchange that was very similar. The day we figured how to a common computation in 4 instructions rather than 5 we went to the pub for the rest of the day. We also sometimes executed temporary code placed in the data storage area..

[@jwadaow]

Did you use Erlang?

[@jwadaow]

@Mark Smileer You used to be able to buy disposable cameras with no ability to adjust the frame, shutter or lens and then take them to be developed. Same with a Polaroid.

[@arthurbooty7542]

@@jwadaow Certainly did.

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@Mark Smileer Keep your *SPAM* to yourself, kiddo!

[@cielobuio]

We're so lucky to have someone as passionate as Robert, who is willing to dedicate so much time to both study and present this material, in order that we can have the priviledge of learning about this fascinting technology. Great job !!

[@bebright15000]

All I have to say is unbelievable! Robert is very smart, has a passion for this subject, and presents extremely well. Amazing!

[@MrMartinRose]

Excellent presentation and great level of detail to be understood by your audience, even for me, a German born in 1957. Thank you for making all this alive after 50 years.

[@robertwills8051]

Thanks Martin. I love bringing these dusty old boxes to life (even if just "virtually"). The National Museum of Computing is always buzzing with computers which are plugged in and switched on, and volunteers who can't wait to tell you about them, so I think we share a passion in showing things being used :-)

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@Mark Smileer *GET A LIFE, YOU SPAMMER!*

[@lydiaanderson2870]

@Hello Martin Rose, How are you doing?

[@rockymountainhiker8119]

Robert gives such an engaging, fascinating and understandable presentation. It is so nice and refreshing to see that people like Robert have revisited early space history and share their knowledge and enthusiasm with us, so that we can understand, more than ever, how truly amazing the early space missions were.

[@Joskemom]

What was really amazing were the nerves of these space guys. Watching the movie ' 'Apollo 13' and the scene where the guys are figuring out complex math problems with pencil and paper while freezing in a crippled space craft that is supposed to take them back home.

[@Spo8]

Man, this is such a perfect example of how to give a technical presentation.

[@colinhopkins8009]

Add this to the KZbin videos on the AGC rebuild and you have the complete package to understand the system and it’s functionality. Brilliant!!

[@tedz2usa]

This was a beautiful and riveting exposition of the Apollo Guidance Computer and its role in the moon landings! As a software engineer I incredibly appreciated the in-depth details on the technical aspects of the computer!

[@skoodledoo]

No idea why this came up in my recommendations but I watched it all. Great stuff!

[@russell_szabados]

My dad was a systems analyst, I'm a professional musician. But his enthusiasm for computers and programming (on mainframes in the 70's) rubbed off enough for me to thoroughly enjoy this talk. I've watched it twice as of today and I'm sure I'll be returning to it again and again.

[@andrewrobinson2565]

I wish I had been as good a teacher as this guy. He's marvellous.

[@LeonDDel]

My own thought is this was not seen by him he must have been a baby at the time if he was alive so it's second hand knowledge which I don't subscribe to!

[@andrewrobinson2565]

@@LeonDDel Wow. So you only believe anything you've ever learned from eye-witnesses? Darwin on Evolution, Einstein on e=mc2? Somewhat limiting, but your Weltanschauung, your right.

[@DM-fz3ly]

An amazing concise description of the AGC and the process of landing on the moon. Well done!!

[@lizardbyte]

“Don’t worry about the details, just enjoy the ride”!

[@RichardLourette]

I'm so glad I stumbled on this! Great presentation! My first exposure to the guidance computer was meeting a "veteran" engineer at Lincoln Labs who worked at Draper labs during the Apollo era. Very interesting conversations, but that is when I realized that the computer was Single-string (no redundancy)!

[@najamhaq]

I watched the whole thing. Even my wife watched most of it :) All I can say is thank you.

[@saskiafalken6350]

Inshallah

[@Chindit1961]

Brilliant talk. Watched the landings as a kid, and was amazed. Even more amazed as an adult when I've heard/read how they did it. The computing aspect adds a whole new dimension, and the talk was brilliant. Thanks to all involved

[@-Swamp_Donkey-]

Lol.. yeah, that totally happened. You have to be out of your mind at this point to believe we actually went there.

[@Chindit1961]

@@-Swamp_Donkey- The problem for you, son, is that you can believe what you like - science isn't about belief. If they hadn't gone then, half the planet could disprove it in an instant, if they could - and wouldn't Putin just love to? Back to your swamp, you silly child

[@Justlookitupplease]

Go away troll bot 😂

[@leybraith3561]

If viewers of this KZbin recommendation (and similar high quality videos you come across) could please ensure they tick the 'like' button or write a comment, then we may encourage more sensible / factual clips like these to be made / recommended. One small click, one giant leap in the knowledge base... Deeply researched and nicely presented. Informative and amusing. Excellent background knowledge for people studying many facets of electronics, computers, humanities, space and history. Very pleased to have found this presentation. Well done NASA, Robert Wills and tnmoc. Thanks to Robert Wills and the tens of thousands of positive enablers in the world (past and future).

[@DavidHamster88]

This is the best explanation of the AGC that I’ve ever seen. Kudos to the speaker for a well crafted presentation. Here is a potential sequel: What happened to the AGC during Apollo 8 when Lovell set it back to P1.

[@sparkatron9334]

Great video. Of all the Apollo TV programs and films over the years I have seen, none have explained the details as good as this one. Thank you.

[@gillesguillochon8721]

The 20 of July 69, (i was 16 years old, in France,) I was in front of a low definition black and white tv set to see what has become history. It's a lot of years latter that I read this "1202 " error code story. Thanks Rpbert for your brilliant lecture. Your passion is obvious, and your presentation fantastic and accurate. Gilles,.

[@robertwills8051]

Thanks Gilles, it must have been exciting to watch that grainy, low definition picture. I'm glad you enjoyed my lecture.

[@harryraam9566]

all lies, brainwashed by that box in the corner of the room.

[@gillesguillochon8721]

​@@harryraam9566, what are the lies you're talking about? Sorry, I don't understand you...

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@Mark Smileer *GET A LIFE, YOU SPAMMER!*

[@RetNemmoc555]

I expected drudgery, but holy smokes that was a story well told. I looked quickly for a book by him but didn't find one. If he hasn't turned this into a book, he should. I know the story's been told, but like he suggested, no one has told it like he does. It's rare to hear such a potentially dense topic laid out so compellingly.

[@darkprince8288]

he should work for NASA. they really need storytellers and fantasy artists like that.

[@RetNemmoc555]

@@darkprince8288 Agreed. Science and technology popularizers (as some call them) are much needed to creatively de-mystify, educate and inspire.

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@@darkprince8288 Yeah, flatturds, religiots and reality deniers hate NASA.

[@darkprince8288]

​@@CNCmachiningisfun yeah man, they went to the moon using the computing power of a hand held calculator. makes eminent sense, my man. the government never lies especially of this here UNITED STATES.

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@@darkprince8288 Thanks for confirming MY observations, kiddo.

[@petewilliams4965]

Like probably many here I started watching expecting to watch 5 minutes, and ended up watching the whole thing. Awesome job!!

[@michaelarrigo2512]

One of the original designers of the guidance system just recently celebrated his 90th Bday. I am so blessed to have been able to know and celebrate with this man. Truly brilliant. It was amazing to see so many pictures, books, and plans from his work over the years.

[@pamdemonia]

What a wonderful talk! Clear, interesting, easy to understand without being too simplified. Thank you!

[@Dad44315]

When it comes to computers I really know nothing, but this guy communicated in such a way I could understand 90% of what he was saying. Brilliant communicator

[@keithbodner7437]

I came across this video by chance. I'm so glad that I stopped to watch it. I was only 12 when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Here in the states we didn't call it a space ship I remember it was called the LEM, and the command module. That aside, I remember so much of that event and those few days in a hot July in New York I'm so grateful that I experience them first hand. Thank you to the people who put this video together from the presenter to all the technical people both before and after as well as the poignant questions by the small group it is both a pleasure and an honor to in effect being that little room with you guys.

[@tnmoc]

Thanks Keith!

[@CataclysmicBeefstick]

So many books deal with the brave astronauts, so it was really interesting to learn how the computer worked to actually get them to the moon.

[@ramon2006b]

That fixed memory programming with wires blow my mind absolutely!

[@robertwills8051]

Yes it's very unusual isn't it! When the programmers were developing the code, they used a special device called a "Core Rope Simulator". This pretended to be the fixed memory (ie it behaved the same electrically), but the programmers could upload new programs to it to test. When it came to producing the final fixed memory, as I said in my talk this was woven together using wires (see 10:00 in the video). In the factory there was a machine which had the final machine code loaded into it as data. The machine would tell the textile worker which ring to wire through next based on the machine code, and he or she would thread the wire. The machine-assistance helped them get the correct final result, but ultimately it took a lot of human skill and dexterity to thread the wire.

[@oliverfrank8124]

We have a bit of this type of memory sitting in our school's CS department, it's really incredible to see how tiny the weave is.

[@Alrukitaf]

So - the memory is in the woven wires? Remarkable!

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@Mark Smileer *DOPEY, LYING, SPAMMING,* flatturds!

[@zakpodo]

@Mark Smileer please do elaborate on the covert Satanism threaded through the presentation. Enlighten us.

[@thesmallnotesduo]

Imagine if education led to all students developing the capacity for such amazing levels of critical thinking, attention to detail, passion for learning, etc? This is awesome.

[@yommish]

I’m only half an hour in, but man I can’t imagine all the engineering, programming, and development of protocols for every possible situation. Pretty incredible.