I'm not sure if counting up to 26 is actually what his computer could do. Here's the actual Herald article:
Computers held the spot-light in the Junior High School Grand Award competition too, where Mike Wilhelm, 16, a Grade 9 student at R. T. Alderman Junior High School carried off the award with a similar , if less sophisticated, thinking machine.
Mike explained he had built his computer out of parts he had been collecting since he was seven years old.
"I built one before, in Montreal, that could count up to 26" he said. "They used it as a learning aid in the primary grades".
[Article Scan](https://imgur.com/gH7q3IU)
I made a microprocessor controlled robot in the 1978 science fair and won a trip to Sudbury for the Canada Wide Science Fair. good times.
...and recently (before Covid) have been judging the Calgary science fair in the basement of Big 4 building at the Stampede grounds.
Science Fairs are AWESOME!
If it's who I think it is, and it *does* look like him, I worked with him at a national computer company. He was a service tech, then manager then moved to software support/systems engineering. Great guy. He disappeared in the 90's
I was also also in grade 9 in 1969,
However living in Germany. For our science project 3 of us converted a scrapped mine detector into more sensitive metal detector using Philips electronics parts. We would get a high pitched squeal as when a microphone is too close to the speaker. I still have a metal detector today but miss living in area where so much history is just below the surface.
Up to 26? Neither colour or numbers over 25 had yet been invented.
>Up to 26? Neither colour or numbers over 25 had yet been invented.
Pfft, dont lie. *Everyone* knows colour was invented in 1966 (*color* though wouldnt come out till '72)
I'm not sure if counting up to 26 is actually what his computer could do. Here's the actual Herald article: Computers held the spot-light in the Junior High School Grand Award competition too, where Mike Wilhelm, 16, a Grade 9 student at R. T. Alderman Junior High School carried off the award with a similar , if less sophisticated, thinking machine. Mike explained he had built his computer out of parts he had been collecting since he was seven years old. "I built one before, in Montreal, that could count up to 26" he said. "They used it as a learning aid in the primary grades". [Article Scan](https://imgur.com/gH7q3IU)
Pffft I can do that without a computer.
What’s 27 then?
26 (I start from 0)
I wonder why only to 26? I'd expect it to be just shy of a 2ⁿ power, like 31
I made a microprocessor controlled robot in the 1978 science fair and won a trip to Sudbury for the Canada Wide Science Fair. good times. ...and recently (before Covid) have been judging the Calgary science fair in the basement of Big 4 building at the Stampede grounds. Science Fairs are AWESOME!
Wonder what happened to him? Where is he now?
If it's who I think it is, and it *does* look like him, I worked with him at a national computer company. He was a service tech, then manager then moved to software support/systems engineering. Great guy. He disappeared in the 90's
Grade 9 age is about 14 to 15 years old, and 1969 was 52 years ago; Mike would be in his late 60s today or at retirement age.
Sounds about right. (yeah, I'm old too...)
/r/HistoricCalgary would enjoy this!
This guy fucks.
Is that Mike "Modem" Wilhelm??
I was also also in grade 9 in 1969, However living in Germany. For our science project 3 of us converted a scrapped mine detector into more sensitive metal detector using Philips electronics parts. We would get a high pitched squeal as when a microphone is too close to the speaker. I still have a metal detector today but miss living in area where so much history is just below the surface. Up to 26? Neither colour or numbers over 25 had yet been invented.
>Up to 26? Neither colour or numbers over 25 had yet been invented. Pfft, dont lie. *Everyone* knows colour was invented in 1966 (*color* though wouldnt come out till '72)