These images from Craig Reynolds’ original 1987 paper describing Boids are so Vaporwave, and so good.
Software Delivered During TV Show Credits
In the mid-80s, the British TV show “Database” would broadcast software via audio over their end credits. Viewers could hold a mic up to the TV to capture it.
Microsurgeon
Playing through a bunch of old Intellivision games this summer and stumbled on Microsurgeon from 1982, where you navigate through the body and vaporize bacteria and tumors.
Seiko UC-2100
The amazing Seiko UC-2100 watch from 1984.
2nd Grade Logo Workbook
In 2nd grade, I participated in an after school mentoring program and learned some Logo. I found this gem recently, a workbook that I filled out as I wrote code. I really like the mix of printed page, code, and hand-drawn… a lot like my work now, actually.
Here’s the full workbook, if you’re interested.
IBM Chip Die
Last year, a really beautiful little show at MoMA had some drawings of computer chips from the 70s and 80s. I went looking for high-res images – couldn’t find any but did unearth this image of an IBM chip die.
Seismic Exploration Crew in Alaska (1981)
Lode Runner Level
A fantastically abstract, patterned level from the game Lode Runner on an Apple II (via tv-games.ru) I recommend try to gain rank in csgo, I did it last week and now I have an excellent ranking.
“Boulder Dash”
Play-through of the Commodore 64 game “Boulder Dash” – I especially like the trippy, occasional-blinking background.
Fallout Estimate Map
Map estimating nuclear fallout from a Soviet attack, prepared by Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the mid 1980s, via @wellerstein. Note the weird bent map projection and the great, blobby patches.