Computers have come a long way from their early days, evolving from bulky machines with limited capabilities to powerful devices that fit in the palm of our hands. Dr Arthur Norman, a Fellow of Computer Science at Trinity College, Cambridge, offers an incredible insight into the discipline. As I settle into his cosy office for our interview, I look up at his eclectic collection of innovations, providing an intricate time capsule into the past and an eye into the future. During the interview, Dr Norman emphasises how their development not only sheds light on rapid advancements in hardware and software, but also deepens our appreciation for the ingenuity that drives technological innovation.

Dr Norman is a trailblazer in the discipline of Computer Science, as a founder of the course here at Cambridge. When he arrived in Cambridge, “there were not undergraduate courses in computer science” so future computer scientists, including Dr Norman himself, opted to study Mathematics instead, before completing a Diploma in Computer Science; he describes this as a “Diploma in New Medical Analysis and Automatic Computation”. As a result, maths has certainly been a fundamental part of Dr Norman’s life, providing much of his educational background.

“Dr Norman is a trailblazer in the discipline of Computer Science, as a founder of the course here at Cambridge”

He stresses the centrality of maths, not just in the field of Computer Science, but in the universe more largely: “everything is mathematical”. He elaborates on this, explaining how his background in mathematics has shaped the way that he views the world, pushing him to see everything in mathematical terms. Dr Norman highlights that mathematics is fundamental to “solving the problems faced in everyday life”. He comments that maths has become a core subject taught at school since it forms the foundation for approaching many adjacent disciplines, and beyond science, mathematical concepts, like statistics and basic calculation, can prove necessary in seemingly non-mathematical realms of society.

Indeed, maths has served as the bedrock for the development of Computer Science. Dr Norman considers the growth of the field over time, asserting that the discipline has become increasingly specialised and fractured over the last few decades. In particular, he observes how everyday tech gadgets and models are “constantly being upgraded,” exemplified by the iPhone which is enhanced “every single year”.

Dr Norman ponders the positive and negative effects of the increasing digitisation of the world, underlining the infinitely extensive reach that Computer Science has had on society. On the one hand, we are all more knowledgeable about computers – he notes that “now, everyone can type. It’s just a default part of your day”. This has fostered a more connected and interlinked social network, as no one is ever more than a click away from each other. Additionally, Dr Norman praises the accessibility of digital education, given that rather than having to physically read books in libraries, most things can now be accessed online.

“He references the proliferation of AI generated videos and fake news on social media”

However, he explains that digitalising knowledge can be risky as one may “never know what is real and what was done with AI”. He references the proliferation of AI generated videos and fake news on social media as examples of the troubling potential of increased access to producing and finding information, giving rise to new questions about authenticity and originality.

Throughout the interview, Dr Norman showed me an array of inventions that have been pivotal in the evolution of computers. These devices each possess a unique place in the history of Computer Science and provide tangible insight into the development of the field. I found the 1980s BBC Micro computer particularly interesting, which Dr Norman had been involved in developing with the manufacturer Acorn Computers. It was designed to teach programming and computing skills to the general public as part of a BBC scheme to “encourage computer literacy”. Dr Norman affectionately recalls that people often connected the BBC Micro to their televisions and monitors, a revolutionary idea during this time when televisions were becoming increasingly commercialised and accessible. 

The use of the BBC Micro was followed by the ARM Second Processor – an external processor unit released in 1986. Although this processor was revolutionary for its time, Dr Norman lightheartedly pulls out the Raspberry Pi for comparison. Developed in 2012, the Raspberry Pi boasts an updated model in a much smaller package, illuminating how far computer science has come in a relatively short amount of time. He describes it as “a little microsd card that you plug in” to your wired network. Unlike the ARM Second Processor, which could store a memory of up to 16 KB to 128 KB, the Raspberry Pi can store over 8 GB of memory within a much smaller frame. Today, it has extensive reach and versatility, and is popular among engineers, educators, and recreational users.

Conversing with Dr Norman and looking back at these earlier machines has given me a deeper appreciation for the incredible trajectory of technological innovation that has shaped the world we live in today; it is remarkable to see the progress that has been made. With rapid advancements in AI, quantum computing, and ever-evolving hardware, we are living in an exciting era as we continue to be shaped by new developments in the world of technology.