[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Meeting Reminder: At Zoom Address 972 6146 0830. Telephone Switching Before Computers, presented by Ken Pogran. On Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 10AM EDT. Lexington Computer and Technology Group Online Meetings via Zoom

[Jonathan Goode]

(NOTE: Repeated Reminder with contents unchanged.)



*June 2, 2021*














*Telephone Switching Before Computers* (Ken Pogran) *When we think about
telephone switching today, we may think of all-digital, computer-based
systems humming along quietly in shiny computer rooms. But go back 50, 80,
or 120 years, and you'll find calls are handled by clattering behemoth
electromechanical switching systems, some with racks and frames 14 feet
tall, and some motor-driven, with clutches and commutators and rods with
brushes that scamper up and down.  In this talk Ken will take us through
the evolution of telephone switching systems, from an undertaker's
invention of the late 1880s through the Bell System's urban giant "panel"
systems of the 1920s and '30s and on up to the No. 1 and No. 5 crossbar
systems of the late '30s, '40s, and '50s. On the way we'll look at the
overall architecture of telephone switching, problems of scalability, and
the No 5 crossbar "marker"--the most complex relay-based computing machine
ever produced.*



*SPECIAL NOTE - **Links to many of our previous sessions are available
online at http://lctg.toku.us/ <http://lctg.toku.us/>, thanks to the
diligence of Steve Isenberg. This includes the space-oriented presentations
of Mars Landing from February 24, Venus Temperature from March 17, Apollo
Mission from April 14 and Space Debris from May 5.*



We, the Lexington Computer and Technology Group, will meet Wednesday at the
usual 10AM Eastern Time, BUT ONLINE, using the Zoom Video Conferencing
Application, facilitated by Steve Isenberg.

There is an instruction page at https://toku.us/zoomish but note that the
URL and phone number shown are examples.



Sometime after 9:45AM on Wednesday, choose one of the following options:

   - If you have the Zoom application installed, start it and join meeting
   with ID 972 6146 0830
   - From your browser, go to: https://zoom.us/j/97261460830
   - From your smartphone, tap this: +16468769923,,97261460830
   - From a “dumb” telephone, call 1 646 876 9923 and enter meeting ID: 972
   6146 0830

Once the connection is established, you may need to locate and use the
on-screen controls that turn on the sound and the video. You should be able
to see and hear others and they should be able to see and hear you, if you
have a camera and microphone (each of which you can unmute selectively).

If this email wasn't addressed to you and you would like to join the group,
or if you have a friend or colleague who might also be interested in
joining, it's easy.  Ask them to go to the group's wiki page at
http://LCTG.toku.us and follow the simple instructions under "Join the
Email List".  By being a member of the group you'll get reminders of
upcoming meetings and infrequent related messages. No advertising.  The
list is tightly managed.

Membership is free and given that all meetings are using Zoom you only need
to be connected to the Internet to join.  It's ok to join from anywhere you
can get a decent Internet connection, even if you're in orbit around Earth
or on another planet or a moon (if you're connecting from somewhere not on
Earth, we'd like to chat).

*Below are our plans for Upcoming Meetings. For more schedule information,
please refer to https://wiki.toku.us/doku.php?id=lctg_speaker_schedule
<https://wiki.toku.us/doku.php?id=lctg_speaker_schedule>  We will continue
to have an online presentation (almost) every Wednesday until it is prudent
for us to resume meeting in person.*

*June 9, 2021*
















*Quantum Engineering of Superconducting Qubits*. William Oliver, associate
professor of EE and Computer Science at MIT and fellow at Lincoln Lab.
(Rich Ralston). The abstract of his talk:
*Superconducting qubits are coherent artificial atoms assembled from
electrical circuit elements and microwave optical components. Their
lithographic scalability, compatibility with microwave control, and
operability at nanosecond time scales all converge to make the
superconducting qubit a highly attractive candidate for the constituent
logical elements of a quantum information processor. Over the past decade,
spectacular improvements in the manufacturing and control of these devices
have moved the superconducting qubit modality from the realm of scientific
curiosity to the threshold of technical reality. In this talk, we present
the progress, challenges, and opportunities ahead in engineering larger
scale processors.*


*June 16, 2021*



*The Buzz on Bees* The biology, pollination, diseases and parasites, killer
bees, and beekeeping. (Howard Cohen)
*Join us, and bring your honey!*
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