Movie Anachronism: Hidden Figures, a based-on-real-life film about the hardships and achievements of black women who did mathematical computations for NASA, included a closeup of an IBM Selectric typing letters on a page some time after Alan Shepard's historic May 5, 1961 suborbital flight, but before Gus Grissom's July 21, 1961 Liberty Bell 7 flight.
The Selectric wasn't introduced by IBM until July 31, 1961, 10 days after Grissom's flight.
I didn't know the introduction date of the Selectric. I thought it was introduced in the mid-60s, but checking on my phone (a theater no-no), I was surprised to learn that the error was such a close call. Did NASA have special pre-introduction Selectrics? I have no idea, but movie anachronisms are discovered all the time. Every historical film has a few.
If and when I have more time this week, I'll be back with more thoughts on Hidden Figures, Paterson, Zero Days and the L Word Mississippi: Hate The Sin. For now, I'd suggest that you catch Zero Days, a documentary exposé on the Stuxnet worm, which was used to attack the Iranian nuclear program. It's a must-see in today's world of nation-sponsored cyber-spying and cyber-warfare.
Since IBM was the maker if NASA's non-human computers then, I'd not be surprised that they had Selectrics before public release.
Posted by: Donna B. | Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 06:01 PM