# Episode 174 - The Bell Model I Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/advent-of-computing-497186/episode-174-the-bell-model-i Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/advent-of-computing-497186/episode-174-the-bell-model-i.md Podcast: [Advent of Computing](https://stenobird.com/podcast/advent-of-computing-497186) Published: 2026-01-12T00:04:00+00:00 Episode link: https://adventofcomputing.libsyn.com/episode-174-the-bell-model-i Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/adventofcomputing/ep174_bell_model_i.mp3?dest-id=1206722 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/advent-of-computing-497186/episodes/episode-174-the-bell-model-i Duration seconds: 3770 ## Resource We are getting back to the actual digital family tree. In 1937 George Stibitz built a tiny binary adding circuit on his kitchen table using scraps he "liberated" from his job at Bell Labs. In 1940 he demonstrated a machine he called a computer. That research forms one of the foundations of modern computing. It also forms a weird temporal phenomenon that I have yet to name. Maybe the Curse of '37? Selected Sources: Zeroth Generation by George Stibitz (NOW WITH A 2nd EDITION!) http://www.bitsavers.org/magazines/Datamation/196704.pdf - Stibitz in Datamation ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/advent-of-computing-497186/episodes/episode-174-the-bell-model-i/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/advent-of-computing-497186/episode-174-the-bell-model-i.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.