Minecraft -- keep calm and code on: Stephen Foster at TEDxUCSD

Summary

Stephen Foster's talk explores the origins of Minecraft and its potential to shape the future of computer science education. He links the game's development to WWII's technological advancements, highlighting Alan Turing's pivotal role in computing history. Foster advocates teaching coding to children, using Minecraft as a tool to spark interest, and envisions a future where society widely embraces computer science to drive innovation.

Takeaways

• 🧙‍♂️ Stephen Foster is passionate about teaching coding to kids and has created educational games like 'Code Spells'.
• 🎮 'Minecraft' is one of the most popular video games, played by over 30 million people, and has educational potential.
• 🏭 The story of Minecraft is deeply connected to the history of computing and World War II, particularly through figures like Alan Turing.
• 🔐 World War II was pivotal for the development of early computers and cryptography, with machines like the Enigma and the Bomb.
• 👨‍💻 Alan Turing is a foundational figure in computer science and his work was crucial in breaking the Enigma code, affecting the outcome of the war.
• 👩‍💻 Grace Hopper, who trained during WWII, invented the first compiler used in programming languages like Java, which Minecraft is written in.
• 🌐 The origins of computer networking, which Minecraft relies on, can be traced back to systems developed to defend against Soviet missiles in the 1950s.
• 💾 Minecraft's ability to be reprogrammed makes it an excellent tool for teaching coding and computer science to children.
• 👨‍🎓 Foster advocates for teaching coding to all children to increase innovation and problem-solving in society.
• 🚀 He believes Minecraft can be a gateway to introduce a large number of people, especially children, to the world of computer science.
• 🌟 Foster hopes Minecraft will be remembered as a key moment in the history of computer science and human advancement.

Q & A

Who is Stephen Foster and what is his mission?

Stephen Foster is an individual who has spent years developing innovative ways to teach coding to children. He has created a video game called 'Code Spells' and founded a company called 'Stem' to bring computer science education into schools across America. His mission is to teach coding to children and inspire them to love humanity and the world they live in.

What is the connection between Minecraft and World War II according to the script?

The connection between Minecraft and World War II is established through the historical development of computer science and technology. Minecraft is written in Java, a programming language that is compiled using a compiler, the first of which was invented by Grace Hopper, who was trained by the US Navy during World War II. Additionally, computer networking, which Minecraft relies on for multiplayer gaming, has its roots in the SAGE network built in the late 50s to defend against Soviet missiles, which was powered by computers that used vacuum tubes perfected in the Colossus computer used during World War II.

Who is Notch and what is his role in Minecraft?

Notch, whose real name is Markus Persson, is the creator of Minecraft. He is credited with writing many of the lines of code for the game, which has become one of the most popular video games played by over 30 million people.

What is the significance of Alan Turing in the context of the script?

Alan Turing is mentioned as a foundational figure in the history of computer science and World War II. He is known for his codebreaking work that helped the Allies win the war and for pioneering the concept of stored-program computers. His work is intertwined with many computational technologies used today, including those that enable Minecraft to exist.

What is the 'dark future' mentioned in the script and how does Minecraft relate to it?

The 'dark future' mentioned in the script refers to a potential future where things stay the same, with only a tiny fraction of society being computer scientists. Minecraft relates to this as it is a game that can be reprogrammed, which has the potential to inspire a large number of children to learn how to code, thus increasing the number of people who understand and can innovate with computer technology.

Why does Stephen Foster believe we are at a 'Tipping Point'?

Stephen Foster believes we are at a 'Tipping Point' because of the potential for a massive fraction of society to become computer scientists if children are taught how to code. This could lead to a dramatic leap forward in human achievement, similar to how Alan Turing's work during World War II was a pivotal moment in the history of computer science.

What is the main goal of Stephen Foster's plan to teach children how to code?

The main goal of Stephen Foster's plan is to empower children with the skill set of computer science, enabling them to build software that can positively impact the lives of millions of people they've never met, thus increasing innovation and problem-solving capabilities in society.

How does Minecraft serve as a tool for teaching computer science according to the script?

Minecraft serves as a tool for teaching computer science because it is a game that can be reprogrammed, which is considered 'cool' by many kids. This makes it an engaging way to introduce children to coding and computer science, as it allows them to modify the digital world they are already obsessed with.

What historical event is used to illustrate the beginning of the age of information in the script?

The script uses the end of World War II as the starting point of the age of information, highlighting the construction of the first modern computers and the use of technology like the Enigma machine and the British 'bomb' for codebreaking during the war.

Why is the story of Minecraft important according to the speaker?

The story of Minecraft is important because it is not just the story of a popular video game, but it represents the story of modern humanity, which is fundamentally based on computers. It also serves as a potential catalyst for a future where a significant portion of society understands and can utilize the power of computer science.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 The Origin of Minecraft and Its Impact

Stephen Foster introduces himself as an advocate for teaching coding to children, mentioning his video game 'Code Spells' and his company STEM. He then transitions into the story of Minecraft, one of the most popular video games played by over 30 million people. Foster draws a parallel between the game and the broader impact of computer science, hinting at the historical significance of computing that began with World War II. He discusses the invention of early computers and their role in the war, particularly the German Enigma machine and the British bombe. These machines were pivotal as they were used to encrypt and decrypt military communications. Foster emphasizes the importance of information in warfare and how the Allies' success in decrypting Enigma codes with the help of Alan Turing and early computer scientists was crucial to winning the war. He suggests that the story of Minecraft is not just about a game but about the evolution of computing and its profound effect on modern humanity.

05:01

🔗 Tracing Minecraft Back to World War II

The speaker connects Minecraft to World War II in three ways. Firstly, he mentions that Minecraft is written in Java, a programming language that compiles code through a compiler, the first of which was invented by Grace Hopper, who was trained by the US Navy during World War II. Secondly, he points out that Minecraft is a multiplayer game that operates on computer networks, which have their roots in the SAGE network built in the late 1950s to defend against Soviet missiles. The SAGE network was powered by massive computers that used vacuum tubes, a technology perfected in the Colossus computer used during World War II to break German codes. Lastly, he notes that Minecraft, as a game stored in a computer's memory, is a product of the von Neumann architecture, which was inspired by a paper written by Alan Turing before the war. The speaker emphasizes Alan Turing's pervasive influence on computational technology and reflects on the public's limited awareness of Turing's contributions despite their significance.

10:04

🚀 Envisioning a Future with More Computer Scientists

Stephen Foster envisions a future where humanity is significantly more innovative due to a larger portion of society being proficient in computer science. He argues that the current age, which began with a computer scientist building a machine to win a war, has evolved to a point where a single computer scientist can create software like Minecraft that brings joy to millions. Foster calls for teaching all children to code, emphasizing the potential for a massive leap forward in human achievement if more people掌握 the power of the programmable computer. He acknowledges the challenge of engaging children in coding while they are already engrossed in video games but sees Minecraft as a unique opportunity. Minecraft's popularity and the desire of many children to learn how to modify it provide a chance to introduce them to computer science. Foster expresses hope that Minecraft might be remembered as a pivotal moment in the history of computer science, unlocking the field for a large portion of humanity and leading to a future with many new computer scientists.

Keywords

💡Minecraft

Minecraft is a sandbox video game that allows players to build and explore virtual worlds made of blocks. It is central to the video's narrative as it symbolizes the potential for teaching coding to children. The speaker uses Minecraft as an example of how engaging and popular modern technology can be, and how it can be leveraged to inspire kids to learn coding.

💡Coding

Coding refers to the process of writing computer programs. In the video, coding is presented as a crucial skill that the speaker is passionate about teaching to children. It is highlighted as a powerful problem-solving tool that can transform society if more people, especially children, learn to use it.

💡Alan Turing

Alan Turing is recognized as the father of computer science. In the script, Turing is depicted as a foundational figure whose work during World War II and his contributions to early computing laid the groundwork for modern technology, including the development of Minecraft.

💡Enigma Machine

The Enigma Machine was a device used by the Germans during World War II to encrypt military communications. The video uses the Enigma Machine to illustrate the importance of codebreaking and information technology in warfare, drawing a parallel to the importance of coding skills today.

💡Bombe Machine

The Bombe Machine, invented by Alan Turing, was used to decrypt messages encrypted by the Enigma Machine. In the video, it represents a pivotal technological advancement that helped the Allies win World War II, underscoring the impact of computational technology.

💡Grace Hopper

Grace Hopper was a computer scientist and a U.S. Navy officer who invented the first compiler, which translates code into a form that computers can execute. The video mentions her to draw a direct line from World War II computing to modern programming languages like Java, used in Minecraft.

💡Compiler

A compiler is a program that translates code written in a high-level programming language into machine code. The video uses the compiler as an example of technological evolution stemming from wartime innovations, leading to modern applications like Minecraft.

💡SAGE Network

The SAGE Network was an early warning system developed in the 1950s to detect Soviet missile attacks. The video mentions SAGE to show the progression of computer networking, which is essential for multiplayer games like Minecraft.

💡Von Neumann

Von Neumann, a mathematician, contributed to the development of computer architecture, particularly the stored-program concept. The video references his work to highlight the evolution of computer memory and the ability to execute programs, foundational for modern computing.

💡Tipping Point

A tipping point is a moment of critical change that tips the balance in a new direction. The video uses this term to argue that society is at a pivotal moment where teaching coding to children could lead to a significant leap in human innovation and technological advancement.

💡Modding

Modding refers to modifying a video game to change its behavior or add new features. In the context of the video, modding Minecraft is presented as a gateway to learning coding, as it allows children to alter the game they love, thereby making coding education engaging.

Highlights

Stephen Foster is dedicated to teaching coding to kids through creative methods like his video game 'Code Spells'.

Foster founded a company called 'stem' to bring Computer Science Education into American schools.

Minecraft, a game played by over 30 million people, is the focus of Foster's story about the impact of computer science.

The story of Minecraft is intertwined with the history of modern computing, starting with World War II.

The Enigma machine and the British 'Bombe' were crucial in the war of information during World War II.

Alan Turing, the father of computer science, played a pivotal role in breaking the Enigma code.

Minecraft's success is rooted in the history of computer science, dating back to World War I.

Minecraft is written in Java, a language whose compiler was invented by Grace Hopper, who worked on the Mark 1 computer during World War II.

Computer networking, essential for multiplayer games like Minecraft, has its origins in the SAGE network from the 1950s.

Von Neumann's concept of stored-program computers, which allows programs like Minecraft to run, was inspired by Alan Turing's work.

Alan Turing is a foundational figure in the history of computational technology.

Foster conducted a poll revealing that less than 5% of people knew about Alan Turing.

Foster believes we are at a Tipping Point where we can significantly increase innovation by teaching coding to children.

Minecraft can be reprogrammed, making it an ideal tool for teaching coding to kids.

Foster's plan is to teach all children to code, which he sees as a way to unlock the potential for massive innovation.

Minecraft's popularity among children makes it a powerful educational tool for computer science.

Foster hopes Minecraft will be remembered as a key moment in the history of computer science and humanity.

The potential of 30 million new computer scientists could lead to a dramatic leap forward in human achievement.

Transcripts

so hi I'm Stephen Foster and I have

spent the last several years trying to

come up with cool ways to teach coding

to kids for example I built this video

game called code spells where you play

the part of a wizard and you craft your

own magic spells by writing code and I

founded a company called stem to try to

bring Computer Science Education into

schools all across

America now those are stories for a

different time but in doing those things

I became aware of the story that I want

to tell today which is the story of

Minecraft one of the most popular video

games of our day played by more than 30

million people this is a story about

where Minecraft came from and it's a

story about what I think Minecraft can

do for our future

it's also a story about how one computer

scientist changed the world and it's

also a story about why you should even

care about the story of Minecraft and

just to spoil the end on that a little

bit you should care if you've ever used

a

computer because this isn't just the

story of Minecraft this is the Story of

All of Us it's the story of modern

Humanity which is fundamentally founded

on

computers so with that in mind let's

begin the story of Minecraft that what I

think we can all agree is the obvious

place the death of

Hitler World War II really sparked the

age of information we see the first

modern computers being constructed right

after the war and very much as a result

of technology that was invented during

the war not only that the war itself was

a war of

information this

machine the German Enigma machine was

used to encrypt German military

Communications it was used to hide

information and this machine which the

British called the bomb was a secret

weapon that could decrypt whatever the

Enigma machine encrypted it was used to

reveal

information here's both machines in a

museum somewhere two of the most crucial

weapons during World War II and yet

neither one of them ever exploded or

pierced or punctured or vaporized or

shot down or sunk anything at least not

directly they were weapons of

information and because of them the war

itself was this amazing intricate

informational fencing match see the

Germans believed that Enigma was

unbreakable they believed that a machine

like the bomb couldn't exist and the

Allies did their best to try to keep

that secret which they miraculously

managed to do throughout the entire War

but the Germans did get suspicious and

in 1942 they modified Enigma and they

rendered the bomb useless for about a

year this is a chart of Allied ships

sunk every month for the duration of the

war and as you can see in

1942 right after the Enigma machine has

been modified casualties Skyrocket and

for the duration of that year in which

the Allies are in this kind of

informational Darkness

casualties remain high but then at the

end of the year when British

mathematicians and code Breakers and

early computer scientists have

appropriately modified the bomb so that

they can once again decrypt Enigma

traffic casualties drop back in

half now this data allows us to do a

thought

experiment and that is to ask what if we

had never had the bomb what if the

Allies had never cracked the Enigma

code in

1942 the Allies are losing about a 100

ships every month every month for a year

to put that into perspective that

averages out to about one ship every

eight hours so a ship every eight hours

for a year that's millions of tons of

cargo lost thousands of lives Supply

chains broken and it only lasted a year

but we can imagine that the war itself

may have had a very different outcome if

those levels of casualties had been

spread across the war's entire

duration after the war Winston Churchill

told King George it was because of

decryption that we won and he was right

we won the war of information and so we

won the

war now there are a lot of Heroes in

that story but the one I would like to

mention because he invented the bomb is

Alan Turing also known as the father of

computer science now we'll come back to

him in just a minute but first first

what does any of this have to do with

Minecraft one of the most popular video

games of our day it's played by more

than 30 million people and if you're not

one of those 30 million imagine this

imagine that it's like digital Legos so

you log on on your computer and people

across the world log on on theirs and

you all work together to build cool

stuff out of digital

blocks it's a breakout success but

breakout success like Minecraft don't

come out of nowhere they have a history

and like many popular pieces of software

it is a history of blood and sweat and

tears and lines of code in this case

many of which were written by one man

his name is Notch that's his nickname

Notch but the history of Minecraft goes

back before its first line of code was

written in fact it goes back before

Notch was even born in fact it goes all

the way back to world War I and when I

tell this to the average Minecraft

player they are

skeptical so if there are Skeptics in

the audience I'll prove it to you and

and I'll prove it to you in three

different ways in less than two minutes

so three ways two minutes I'll Trace

Minecraft back to World War II right

start my timer there we go all right

Minecraft is written in a programming

language called Java when you write in

Java the program you write gets fed into

another program called the compiler

first compiler invented in 1951 by Grace

Hopper Grace Hopper got her training by

the US Navy in World War II when she was

assigned to work on the Mark 1 computer

which did calculations for the atomic

bomb so there is your World War II

connection and since we have some time

bonus Allan Turing connection the US

Navy at the same time was constructing

their own version of the British

cryptographic bomb machine they were in

collaboration with the world's leading

expert on the subject its inventor Alan

Turing so bonus alen Turing connection

there all right number two Minecraft is

a multiplayer game that means it runs on

a network computer networking dates back

to the late 50s where the sage network

was built to help defend against Soviet

missiles Sage was powered by Massive

computers four stories tall using 60,000

vacuum tubes each vacuum tubes had just

previously been perfected in the

Colossus computer used during World War

II to break German code bonus Allen tur

connection Colossus was designed by

Tommy flowers who worked directly with

Alan Turing on the British

bomb number three Minecraft is a game a

game is a program a program is something

that is stored in the computer's memory

and it can be executed without having to

manually rewire the hardware now that

sounds obvious but today it sounds

obvious today but it was first pioneered

by Von noyman in 1945 Von noyman worked

on the Manhattan Project during World

War II so there's your World War II

connection and by his own admission

his ideas were fundamentally inspired by

a 1936 paper written before World War II

by Allan Turing once

again so what is up with this guy Allan

tur thank

you a lot of Allen Turing fans

here so what is up with this guy Alan

Turing you take any piece of

computational technology today and you

trace its history back you find Alan

Turing somehow intertwined inside it

that alone is enough to qualify somebody

as a foundational figure in world

history and on top of that he helped us

win World War II with his codebreaking

work that's

amazing what's also amazing and actually

a little bit sad is that I conducted a

poll of 100 random

strangers and less than five per of them

had ever even heard of Alan

Turing World War II was a Tipping Point

and we tipped the right way thanks to

Allan Turing but there was a time when

nothing was certain 1942 for example we

didn't know if we would win and we

didn't know if we would lose and today I

think we're at another Tipping Point and

there is a dark future but don't worry

it's not as dark as losing World War II

it's basically that we might miss one of

our best chances to improve our world

the dark future is that things might

stay the same it'll continue to be the

case that less than 5% of the people I

poll have ever heard of alent Turing

it'll continue to be the case that

millions of people play Minecraft and

they don't have any idea how it actually

works it will continue to be the case

that we as a society delegate our

computer work to the tiny tiny fraction

of us that are computer scientists and

that's that

now is it a bad world no it's not a bad

world the age of information is a

fascinating time to be alive it's an age

that began with one computer scientist

who built a computer that helped us win

a war and today it's the kind of age

where one computer scientist can build a

piece of software like Minecraft that

brings joy to 30 million people he's

never met it's the kind of age where

computer scientists almost on a daily

basis are revolutionizing every field of

human achievement from science to

technology to engineering to mathematics

to Art to space travel to basic human

communication

but I invite you in spite of all the

amazing things we see in the world

around us I invite you to imagine a

possible

future in which the human race is a

hundred or a thousand times as

Innovative as it is today because

instead of a tiny fraction of society

being computer scientists there is a

massive fraction of society each one of

which has mastered the skill set that

will allow them to build software that

can touch the lives of millions of

people they've never

met now I can't imagine the awesome

technological achievements of that day I

can't paint a picture of it for you but

I contend that we don't have to imagine

it because we can see that world in our

lifetimes if we want to back Bly enough

and I want to very badly so here's my

plan for seeing that possible future in

my lifetime here's my

plan

teach all the

children how to

code teach all the children how to code

teach them to love humanity and love the

world they live in in but most of all

teach them how to code and then we can

watch what happens when a massive

fraction of society knows how to use the

most powerful problemsolving tool that

has ever been invented by

mankind the programmable

computer now it's not easy it's hard

enough to get kids to stop playing video

games long enough to do their normal

homework let alone also learn how to

code but we do have one lucky thing

going for us and that is

Minecraft because Minecraft is not your

ordinary game Minecraft is the kind of

game that you can reprogram you can

recode Minecraft and recoding Rec

reprogramming Minecraft is considered

cool and millions of kids feel this way

and it is not easy to get millions of

kids to agree that something is cool but

today kids are walking through the door

of my business and they're wearing

Minecraft t-shirts and they're saying

please teach me how to cope because I

want to learn how to mod Minecraft

because to them Computer Science

Education knowing how to code gives them

this kind of magical power over the

digital fantasy world that they are so

obsessed

with will Minecraft be cool next year or

the year after that I don't know I hope

so I think it might but we know those of

us who know children know that they can

be excited about something today and not

excited about it tomorrow they do grow

out of things and so that is why I use

Minecraft today to teach computer

science because it's a chance that may

not be around

forever that is why I say that we're at

a Tipping

Point so in

closing I'll say something that people

might make fun of me for but I'll say it

anyway and that is I hope Minecraft goes

down in the history books as it key

moment in the history of computer

science maybe even the history of

humanity I hope we tip in such a way

that in 20 years people look back and

they realize two things

one Alan Turing gave us computer science

As We Know It And by extension Humanity

as we know it and

two I hope they look back and realize

that Minecraft today unlocked computer

science as we know it for a massive

fraction of humanity that didn't already

know about

it so how many how many new computer

scientists will it take for us to see

that dramatic Leap Forward in human

achievement to see that possible future

I don't know but I do know this it took

a computer scientist to build a machine

to help us win a war and there are 30

million people who play Minecraft many

of them children I believe the human

race can achieve a lot with 30 million

new computer scientists I don't know how

much but I am on a mission to find

out thank you