Computing

Bugs that became legends, arbitrary conventions frozen forever, forgotten machines: where the code we use actually comes from.

271 anecdotes, most recent first.
Highlights

The infallible copy protection of the first PlayStation

The PlayStation used a sophisticated protection system to prevent the reading of games copied on CD-R. Authentic discs integrated a specific oscillation frequency named wobble, readable only by the console's modified optical drive. Standard CD burners and readers could neither reproduce nor detect this signal, because they automatically compensated for this surface variation.

2025-12-02

Computers make mistakes when calculating standard deviation

The standard deviation calculated by a computer can be completely erroneous. This happens when a program directly uses the basic formula on samples of values between 0 and 1. To avoid this problem, Donald Knuth recommends in his book The Art of Computer Programming the algorithm developed by B.P. Welford.

2026-04-23

The computer cookie was invented in 1994 by Netscape

The cookie is a connection token invented in 1994 by engineers from the company Netscape. This small amount of data sent by an HTTP server allows for the creation of a stateful browsing session. Today, this technology is used by half of all websites.

2026-06-23

Humanity is in the age of technological adolescence

Current humanity belongs to stage 0.7 H on the refined scale of Carl Sagan. This level of societal development corresponds to a consumption of approximately ten terawatts, or 0.16% of the power available on Earth. This stage is characterized by the capacity of humanity to destroy itself, a concept that Sagan names technological adolescence.

2026-10-14

Pakistan secretly developed the atomic bomb under Zia-ul-Haq

Zia-ul-Haq continues the military nuclear development initiated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto while claiming the opposite to Ronald Reagan. The enrichment threshold allowing for military quality is thus crossed in 1985. From the following year, the country has enough fissile material to create a bomb.

2026-10-14

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera gains ten horsepower

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera is a sports version equipped with advanced mechanical modifications. The V10 engine receives a new programming of the electronic control unit managing fuel injection. This reprogramming allows it to reach a power of 530 horsepower, which is an output of more than 106 horsepower per liter of displacement.

2026-10-14

Thierry Lhermitte popularized the patator on television

The patator is a homemade cannon that propels projectiles using an inflammable spray. Thierry Lhermitte performed a successful demonstration of this instrument on November 5, 1998, in front of Alain Chabat. This appearance on La Grosse Émission on the channel Comédie! popularized the object in France.

2026-10-12

Stephen King finally produces a Carrie adaptation

Stephen King participates in an adaptation of his first novel as an executive producer. This collaboration occurs during the development of a television series ordered in April 2025. The author was thus consulted by Mike Flanagan during the production of this project for Prime Video.

2026-10-11

Mongolian rap repurposes American hits

In the early 2000s, Mongolian rap used well-known American music to carry lyrics with radically different themes. The song Bi hendch hereggüi by the group Ice Top was thus recorded in 2001 over the instrumental of What's the Difference by Dr. Dre. While the original praises the success of its author, the Mongolian version expresses personal inadequacy.

2026-10-11

Mathematical formulas remained without proof for decades

The Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan published revolutionary formulas in England in 1910 allowing to calculate pi with formidable efficiency. These propositions were put forward without any proof or clear explanation, plunging specialists into incomprehension. It was necessary to wait until the year 1987 for the brothers Jonathan and Peter Borwein to finally manage to prove them.

2026-10-11

Pink Floyd recorded an album in a few days at a castle

Obscured by Clouds is an album by the British rock band Pink Floyd, recorded during two quick stays in 1972. The musicians composed and performed most of their material directly at the Château d'Hérouville, under the surprised eyes of the technicians. The director Barbet Schroeder described to them the atmosphere sought for each scene, and the tracks were conceived without thorough preparation.

2026-10-11

Homer lost against Pinky and the Brain

In 1996, the episode Treehouse of Horror VI was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. The team believed that the three-dimensional animated sequence named Homer3 would win all the awards. Finally, the episode lost the prize to Pinky and the Brain.

2026-10-11

A mobile currency compensates for the lack of banks

Somaliland has used the ZAAD service as a virtual currency on mobile phones since 2009. This initiative by the operator Telesom makes it possible to bypass the limitations of a failing banking sector. The system is now anchored in the daily life of the inhabitants of this unrecognized territory.

2026-10-11

An entire Daft Punk remix album was distributed in secret

In 2013, the duo Darkside composed of Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington released a full remix album of the Daft Punk album Random Access Memories. This musical reinterpretation was broadcast for free on the SoundCloud platform in the summer of 2013. This side project is titled Random Access Memories Memories and precedes the release of their first official album Psychic.

2026-10-11

Céline Dion's niece died in her arms at 16

Céline Dion lost her niece Karine to cystic fibrosis in 1993, as the latter took her last breath in the singer's arms at the age of 16. The disease has affected the star closely since 1982, leading her to actively support the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, for which she is the national patron. The singer subsequently immortalized this family tragedy by dedicating the song Vole to her niece's memory on the album D'eux.

2026-10-11

A professional football club was bought for one euro

The Racing Club de Strasbourg football club was sold in 2003 for a symbolic euro. This sale occurred while the structure was operating as a professional sports limited company. The buyer was the holding company EuroRacing, which notably counted Egon Gindorf and Philippe Ginestet among its shareholders.

2026-10-11

Chanel created a temporary tattoo kit

The sticker tattoo left chewing gum packets to enter the world of luxury. The quality of these designs improved over the years to become true accessories similar to jewelry. In 2010, the Chanel fashion house marketed a kit named Les Trompe-l'Œil de Chanel for its Parisian fashion show.

2026-10-10

Coptic tattoos served as church entry passes

The Christian tattoo of the Copts has been practiced since the 7th or 8th century. This habit comes from a monastic tradition or an obligation imposed by Muslim Arabs on non-converts. Nowadays, these marks on the skin allow not only to display one's faith, but also to identify oneself easily at the entrance of churches.

2026-10-07

Some tattoos are visible only under black light

UV tattooing is a body modification technique using transparent ink that reacts only to black light. The ink is injected under the skin between the dermis and the epidermis using needles, just like for traditional tattoos. This practice adds to more classic inks composed today of synthetic pigments, replacing the India ink or charcoal used since the Neolithic period.

2026-10-05

Gamal Abdel Nasser delivered 1359 speeches in seventeen years

Gamal Abdel Nasser is an Egyptian leader known for his intimate relationships with ordinary citizens. Between 1953 and 1970, he delivered 1359 public speeches to establish his popularity. This proximity endured through time, as his images resurfaced during the Arab Spring to challenge the power of the Muslim Brotherhood.

2026-10-05

Balzac invented the word gendelettre

The term gendelettre was created in 1843 by Honoré de Balzac in his Monographie de la presse parisienne. The writer constructed this word on the model of gendarme to classify journalists in a synoptic table imitating the naturalist Linné. While this methodical classification has been forgotten, the word has become common and appears in at least three novels.

2026-10-04

The series The Wire was inspired by a police immersion

In 1988, journalist David Simon spent an entire year within the homicide unit of the Baltimore Police Department. This experience allowed him to write a book on the subject, which then led to the creation of the television series The Wire broadcast by HBO between 2002 and 2008. This successful series thus illustrates crime and the anti-drug struggle in this American city.

2026-10-04

Fais weaving patterns are two centuries old

Fais is an island in Micronesia where the inhabitants create six types of weaving with distinct names and techniques. Some of these fabrics, such as the machi, hold great symbolic importance and feature highly stylized human figures. The transmission of these textile traditions is such that some of their patterns have remained strictly identical for at least two centuries.

2026-10-04

A galette-saucisse defense association engages in politics

The association for the preservation of the Breton galette-saucisse is a whimsical structure founded in 1994 by two supporters of the Stade rennais. It uses media and political actions to impose its ten commandments on merchants and promote this local specialty. Its candidacy in the 1997 legislative elections in the Fougères constituency notably gathered 2 % of the votes.

2026-10-04

Fifteen layers of paint for the Maison Gabrielle-Roy

The Maison Gabrielle-Roy underwent a major restoration to return to its 1918 appearance. The provincial government's historical services conducted an in-depth study to identify the original color beneath the fifteen layers of paint accumulated over time. This titanic project carried out from 1997 to 2003 cost 650,000 Canadian dollars.

2026-10-04

A gearbox shared between several teams

The DAMS GD-01 gearbox is a six-speed semi-automatic model designed in 1994 by the company Xtrac. This equipment required modifications after difficulties encountered during its initial development. Subsequently, this same mechanism was adjusted to be installed on the Minardi M195 and Dome F105.

2026-10-04

A bell triggered by starlight

Joel Stebbins revolutionized astronomy by measuring the brightness of stars using a selenium cell. The idea came to him when he saw a teacher use this component to ring a bell during the university physics department's open house. With his colleague F.C. Brown, he installed this technology on the observatory's 300 mm telescope to obtain a light curve of the Moon in the autumn of 1907.

2026-10-04