All-Russian Informatics Day

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Today it is impossible to imagine a world without information technology. Computers and other digital technology have become an integral part of our lives, helping not only to ease the daily routine, but also to move science forward. That is why Informatics Day has taken its rightful place in a series of professional holidays.

What is "computer science"?

If we talk about Informatics Day, we should figure out what it is. The term "computer science" was coined by the German Karl Steinbuch. It was formed by merging two words that describe the essence of her research - "information" and "automation".

Until the middle of the last century in European countries there was no single name for the scientific field that studies work with data and computer technology. "Computer Science", "Management Science", "Fundamentals of Scientific Information", even "Informology" and "Datalogy" are all separate speci alties or constituent parts of computer science, describing one or more of its areas.

In Russia, the term "informatics" had several meanings in different years. Firstly, it is the collection, storage and analytical processing of information contained in documents. Secondly, the science of the use of computers, which studies information processes occurring in society, nature and technology.

Prehistory of computer science

Considering the prehistory of informatics, we can distinguish several stages of its development. The very first and universal way of transmitting information to each other was oral speech. This can be considered a prerequisite for the emergence of computer science. However, the oral transmission turned out to be very imperfect and highly dependent on the human factor. The development of writing partially eliminated this problem, allowing information to be stored in much larger volumes and transmitted over long distances using mail.

The beginning of printing was a new milestone in the development of information technology. Data could now be stored and reproduced on an industrial scale. Finally, the scientific and technological revolution made it possible to transmit information using the telephone, telegraph, television, and radio. Photographs and films helped to store data not only in oral and written form, but also in visual form. In addition, it is now possible to save information on magnetic media.

Development of Informatics

In fact, the day of informatics can be celebrated along with the date of the appearance of the very first computer, because without computer technology, the emergence of informatics as a science would be impossible.

There is oneproperty of modern computers, which allows you to process and store information in a universal form. The fact is that the computer processes data in the form of a binary code, regardless of the brand, version or year of its release. At the same time, it does not matter in what form the information will be displayed: text, numbers, video, audio - all this is divided inside the computer into zeros and ones, and then assembled again.

Now computer science as a science combines several different technical disciplines: from cybernetics and programming to information security, mathematical modeling. That is why Informatics Day in Russia can be celebrated not only by computer science teachers, but also by system administrators, programmers and even accountants.

The birth of informatics in Russia

Why is December 4, Informatics Day, celebrated in Russia? It all started in the late 1940s, when many publications devoted to electronic computers began to appear in foreign journals. Academician I. S. Brook was keenly interested in this topic and decided to participate in a seminar dedicated to it.

Together with B. I. Rameev (at that time he was an engineer and his junior assistant), Brook developed an automatic digital machine. It happened in August 1948. Already in October of the same year, these scientists proposed a project to organize a special laboratory on the basis of the Academy of Sciences, which would develop and build a digital computer. Just a few months later, I. S. Brook and B. I. Rameev were officially registered as the inventors of the first Soviet computer. With thispaper, issued on December 4, 1948, began the development of computer technology in the Soviet Union. From that moment, it is considered that December 4 is Informatics Day in Russia.

How is Informatics Day celebrated in Russia?

Traditionally, once a year, December 4, Informatics Day in Russia is celebrated in schools and various educational institutions. At the lessons, an action dedicated to this holiday called "World Code Hour" is held. This is done so that as many students as possible become interested in computer science, information technology, as well as to increase the prestige of the IT field.

Officially, Informatics Day is not considered a day off, like other professional dates. However, everyone whose work is even slightly connected with this exact science can consider it their holiday.

Congratulations on Informatics Day

If the calendar is December 4, Informatics Day, you should definitely congratulate those employees, friends or relatives who are associated with this science. Do not forget about the inconspicuous workers who make your office function: these are system administrators, programmers, and just technical support specialists. After all, if you rarely see them, it means that these people do an excellent job and the office functions like clockwork.

Well, if it happens that you yourself work in the IT field, then be sure to congratulate all your colleagues, because they are somehow connected with computer science. And how to do it depends on your creativity.