Univac

[Robin Hamilton]

Ouch!!!  You're right, Joel.  Garson's post includes both Asimov stating AND
a character stating ...

<<
"Univac" is an acronym for "Universal Analog Computer," but I chose to
consider it "Uni-vac" ("one vacuum tube") and invented my own favorite
computer, "Multivac." In "Franchise," I had Multivac select (by
methods best known to itself) .

http://books.google.com/books?id=R7faAAAAMAAJ&q=uni-vac#search_anchor

Hence, Asimov says he knew the accurate etymology, but based his name
on a fanciful etymology similar to the one given by Robin Hamilton.

Yet, a story published by Asimov in 1956 "The Last Question" suggests
another etymology. Asimov mentions the "Multivac" and then posits a
more advanced computer called "Microvac". He offers this elaboration:

Someone had once told Jerrodd that the "ac" at the end of "Microvac"
stood for "analog computer" in ancient English, but he was on the edge
of forgetting even that.

http://www.multivax.com/last_question.html
>>

I noted the "Jerrodd" = character above, and conveniently abolished the part
where, in his own person, Asimov derives "Univac" from "Universal Analog
Computer" rather than "Universal Automatic Computer".

On the other hand, to my ear, "Universal Automatic Computer" is so awkward
and cludgy that it simply begs to be replaced by something more euphonious,
which right or wrong, Asimov's revised "Universal Analog Computer" is.

I mean, John W. Campbell, jr, must have thought so, otherwise why rename
_Astounding_ as _Analog [Science Fact and Fiction]_?

Robin

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 12:34 PM
Subject: Re: Univac


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Univac
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> As I read the quotation as provided by Garson, it is Asimov himself
> speaking:
>>Asimov explained how he created the name "Multivac" in the
>>book "Today and tomorrow and ..." published in 1973. (I have only seen
>>a snippet of this book via Google Books. The date is from a WorldCat.)
>>Excerpt:
>>
>>"Univac" is an acronym for "Universal Analog Computer," but I chose to
>>consider it "Uni-vac" ("one vacuum tube") and invented my own favorite
>>computer, "Multivac." In "Franchise," I had Multivac select (by
>>methods best known to itself) .
>
> Since "Franchise" is a story written by Asimov, I read the "I" as Asimov.
>
> Joel
>
> At 1/24/2011 11:57 AM, Robin Hamilton wrote:
>>As Garson quotes him, it is Asimov *presenting the words of a character*
>>looking back in time -- perhaps from this perspective, all early
>>computers,
>>from the analogue originals in Babbage's Calculating Machine (would this
>>count as analogue?) through the slide rule (which is perhaps the ultimate
>>analogue computing device) to Univac, would all blur into one as the mist
>>of
>>centuries overlaid the information content of the message.
>>
>>Not so much garbage in, garbage out as the noise level of time.
>>
>>As to Asimov's science credentials, he received (I haven't checked this,
>>so
>>the date may be out) his PhD in the late fifties, and did try to keep up,
>>insofar as his voluminous writing in both SFiction and SFact allowed.  I
>>rather like his popularizing style, and I've found him to be about as
>>reliable as you'd expect.
>>
>>Robin
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>>To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 10:34 AM
>>Subject: Re: Univac
>>
>>
>>>---------------------- Information from the mail
>>>header -----------------------
>>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>>>Subject:      Re: Univac
>>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>At 1/22/2011 05:31 PM, Garson O'Toole wrote:
>>>>I meant to say that Asimov did not know the accurate etymology of
>>>>UNIVAC. He thought it was "Universal Analog Computer" and not
>>>>"Universal Automatic Computer".
>>>
>>>Given this blooper, must I view all Asimov's
>>>assertions about science skeptically?  Anyone who
>>>had taken Computers 101 (or read Wikipedia) would
>>>know that UNIVAC I was not analog, but digital.
>>>
>>>And Wikipedia's photo confirms my recollection of
>>>having walked around inside one.  The one given
>>>to Harvard in 1956.  It was not one gigantic
>>>vacuum tube (Wiki says 5200 tubes).
>>>
>>>Joel
>>>
>>>
>>>>On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 5:23 PM, Garson O'Toole
>>>><adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>...
>>>> > The name "Multivac" is used in the short story "Franchise" published
>>>> > in 1955. Asimov explained how he created the name "Multivac" in the
>>>> > book "Today and tomorrow and ..." published in 1973. (I have only
>>>> > seen
>>>> > a snippet of this book via Google Books. The date is from a
>>>> > WorldCat.)
>>>> > Excerpt:
>>>> >
>>>> > "Univac" is an acronym for "Universal Analog Computer," but I chose
>>>> > to
>>>> > consider it "Uni-vac" ("one vacuum tube") and invented my own
>>>> > favorite
>>>> > computer, "Multivac." In "Franchise," I had Multivac select (by
>>>> > methods best known to itself) .
>>>> >
>>>> > http://books.google.com/books?id=R7faAAAAMAAJ&q=uni-vac#search_anchor
>>
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