Ada Lovelace Day is coming in one week! What is Ada Lovelace Day? It’s the day when we celebrate the awesome Ada Byron Lovelace, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculums, AND all things women in technology! This year we will celebrate the Ada Lovelace day on Wednesday, October 11th, and in recognition, we’re reviewing the picture book Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine!
Ada Byron Lovelace was a gifted mathematician who became know as the “Princess of Parallelograms” because of her many inventions and theories using math calculations. Ada’s love of science filled her journals with inventions and equations. One day after testing one of her theories outdoors, Ada got sick with the measles and was temporarily paralyzed and blinded. However, her mother kept Ada busy by challenging her with constant mathematical problems, which kept Ada’s mind sharp while she was sick. Once fully recovered, Ada received tutoring from the scientist and mathematician Mary Fairfax Somerville. Through Ms. Somerville, Ada met scientist Charles Babbage and became his friend and colleague.
Ada eventually worked to help make Babbage’s design of his “Difference Machine” – the first mechanical computer, a reality by creating an algorithm – a set of mathematical instructions to help the machine solve complex math problems. Her algorithm helped to develop the world’s first computer program, and today a computer language used to guide modern air machines is named after Ada Lovelace.
Ada Lovelace’s accomplishments set the stage for women to explore careers in math and science and what eventually became the information technology (IT) field. Every child should know of Ada Lovelace, not only for her career accomplishments, but also because of how she overcome a terrible illness to become one of the most influential women in math and science. Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine is a great book for children with an aptitude for science and math, but also for any child who faces obstacles in their youth. With vivid illustrations that accompany its important message, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine is a timeless story that is both informative and inspiring and a wonderful book that is equally effective for a school report or bedtime reading, and of course a great book to celebrate Ada Lovelace day this October 11th! Learn about Ada Lovelace Day at https://findingada.com/about/history-of-ada-lovelace-day/.
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