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author Henry Thompson <ht@markup.co.uk>
date Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:35:15 +0000
parents ff910d6ad9a2
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48:ff910d6ad9a2 49:6a9901310a6a
288 Fermilab in Chicago and the Lawrence Research Laboratory in Berkeley. 288 Fermilab in Chicago and the Lawrence Research Laboratory in Berkeley.
289 Working at all three sites, he programmed PDP 9 and PDP 15 289 Working at all three sites, he programmed PDP 9 and PDP 15
290 microcomputers, in machine language, for experimental control and data 290 microcomputers, in machine language, for experimental control and data
291 gathering. 291 gathering.
292 292
293 When the project ended he moved back to the family home in Cambridge, 293 When the project ended Brian moved back to the family home in Cambridge,
294 and began taking classes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 294 and began taking classes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
295 (MIT), with an interest in what was then known as Social Inquiry, in 295 (MIT), with an interest in what was then known as Social Inquiry, in
296 particular the politics of high technology. But it quickly became 296 particular the politics of high technology. But it quickly became
297 clear to him that the understanding of computing that the social 297 clear to him that the understanding of computing that the social
298 scientists were critiquing was not the computing that he knew as a 298 scientists were critiquing was not the computing that he knew as a
301 so that he could legitimately critique it. He thought he had to go into 301 so that he could legitimately critique it. He thought he had to go into
302 the heart of the beast, as it were, so applied for the PhD program in 302 the heart of the beast, as it were, so applied for the PhD program in
303 Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and began taking 303 Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and began taking
304 classes. 304 classes.
305 305
306 When the MIT administration discovered Smith didn't have an 306 When the MIT administration discovered Brian didn't have an
307 undergraduate degree, Patrick Winston, the newly-appointed head of the 307 undergraduate degree, Patrick Winston, the newly-appointed head of the
308 Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, gave Smith an informal oral exam 308 Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, gave Brian an informal oral exam
309 in topics from the MIT undergraduate computer science curriculum and 309 in topics from the MIT undergraduate computer science curriculum and
310 awarded him the credits necessary for a degree, clearing the way for 310 awarded him the credits necessary for a degree, clearing the way for
311 his admission to the graduate program. 311 his admission to the graduate program.
312 312
313 In 1977 Terry Winograd, who had left MIT to join the Computer Science 313 In 1977 Terry Winograd, who had left MIT to join the Computer Science
314 Lab at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), invited Smith to 314 Lab at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), invited Brian to
315 spend the summer in the Understander Group there, where he joined in 315 spend the summer in the Understander Group there, where he joined in
316 the development of KRL, a Knowledge Representation Language, which 316 the development of KRL, a Knowledge Representation Language, which
317 came to embody some of the ideas that were developed in his Masters 317 came to embody some of the ideas that were developed in his Masters
318 and PhD dissertations. 318 and PhD dissertations.
319 319
320 These biographical details bring us to the brink of Smith's 320 These biographical details bring us to the brink of Brian's
321 professional life, wherein the point made above about multiple 321 professional life, and to the time and place where we first met. The
322 allegiances can be succinctly summarized by a list of the positions he 322 point made above about multiple allegiances can be succinctly
323 has occupied: Director, Xerox PARC System Sciences Lab; Adjunct 323 summarized by a list of the positions he has occupied since the
324 Professor of Philosophy, Stanford University; Founding 324 completion of his PhD a few years later:
325 member of Stanford University's Center for the Study of Language and Information; Founding 325
326 member and first president, Computer Professionals for Social 326 * Director, Xerox PARC System Sciences Lab
327 Responsibility; President of the Society for Philosophy and 327 * Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Stanford University
328 Psychology; Professor of Cognitive Science, Computer Science, and 328 * Founding member of Stanford University's Center for the Study of
329 Philosophy, Indiana University; Kimberly J. Jenkins University 329 Language and Information
330 Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and New Technologies, Duke 330 * Founding member and first president, Computer Professionals for
331 University; Dean of the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto; 331 Social Responsibility
332 Professor of Information, Philosophy, Cognitive Science, and the 332 * President of the Society for Philosophy
333 History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, University of 333 and Psychology
334 Toronto; Senior Fellow, Massey College, University of Toronto; Reid 334 * Professor of Cognitive Science, Computer Science,
335 Hoffman Professor of Artificial Intelligence and the Human, University 335 and Philosophy, Indiana University
336 of Toronto 336 * Kimberly J. Jenkins
337 University Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and New
338 Technologies, Duke University
339 * Dean of the Faculty of
340 Information, University of Toronto;
341 * Professor of Information, Philosophy, Cognitive Science, and the
342 History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, University of
343 Toronto
344 * Senior Fellow, Massey College, University of Toronto
345 * Reid Hoffman Professor of Artificial Intelligence and the Human,
346 University of Toronto
347
348 It was during Brian's years in Palo Alto, just for the summer until
349 1980 [?], and then permanently, that the foundations of the work
350 presented here were laid.
351
352 "As an exercise in using KRL representational structures, Brian
353 Smith tried to describe the KRL data structures themselves in
354 KRL-0. A brief sketch was completed, and in doing it we were made
355 much more aware of the ways in which the language was inconsistent
356 and irregular. This initial sketch was the basis for much of the
357 development in KRL-1."