Steve Russell (computer scientist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve Russell
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Russell in 2011
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Stephen Russell
1937 (age 87–88) Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Other names | Slug |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth College |
| Known for | Spacewar! Lisp |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
| Institutions | MIT |
Stephen Russell, born in 1937, is an American computer scientist. People sometimes call him "Slug." He is famous for creating Spacewar!. This game is known as one of the very first video games shared widely.
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About Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He went to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He studied there from 1954 to 1958.
Creating Lisp
Russell helped create the early versions of a computer language called Lisp. He wrote the first two versions for the IBM 704 computer. He realized that a special idea called "universal functions" could make Lisp work better. This helped create the Lisp "interpreter." An interpreter helps a computer understand and run code directly.
Inventing Spacewar!
In 1962, Russell designed and created Spacewar!. He worked with friends from the Tech Model Railroad Club at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). They made the game on a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) PDP-1 computer.
Spacewar! is seen as the very first digital video game. It helped start the entire video game industry we know today.
Mentoring Young Programmers
Later, Russell worked at a company called Computer Center Corporation. In 1968, he helped Bill Gates and Paul Allen. They were young students from Lakeside School (Seattle). Russell taught them how to use a DEC PDP-10 computer. Bill Gates and Paul Allen later started Microsoft.
See also
- Early history of video games
