Wondering good evening, everyone, this is Walter, Cronkite speaking to you from CBS Television election headquarters there in New York City, the thing election night, nineteen fifty two the year when the United States, because the thirty fifth president, it's eight thirty pm on November. Fourth, nineteen, fifty two election night in America wide eyes and or the revered hero of world war, two is the republican candidate for president, his democratic opponent, Illinois, Governor Adalet Stevenson, everyone thing Eisenhower will win, but that it'll be a close, Balmy weather over most of United States today and a record turn out apparently throughout the United States, the war his only been over for seven years during the war, the US military, invested heavily in new technologies like radar, jet engines and computers. Now, though, technologies are finding their way into business in everyday life, television,

it was around before the war, but only explodes onto the market in the Post war years about one Slash three of american households have one. It is a new and fabulous wonder, and the very idea of tv coverage of Anil is being tested in front of everyone's eyes. The cam centers on Cronkite it's it a long wooden desk. The newsroom is buzzing packed with men in suits and women in dresses after Cronkite, welcomes the audience to election night coverage. He introduced is another one of the wars. Technological wonders one that most of his view, numbers have never seen more of perhaps a prediction on how the voting is going, what the vote that is insofar means, let's turn to that miracle of the modern age, the electronic brain Univac and Charles Collingwood, the camera pans over to report Charles Collingwood Square Jawed and so slightly balding, sitting sort of a large panel. It's lights, blinking furiously

on top of the panel, is a sign that says Remington Rand to his right that all machine the size of a refrigerator, spinning a spool of tape. Next to that is a typewriter wired to the whole contraption. The audience doesn't know it, but everything about this scene is fake, the lights behind the face of this machine or Christmas tree, lights, set to blink randomly. Yes, the most trusted man in America is pulling one over on the american public. The real computer called Univac is housed in Remington Ranch LAB one hundred miles away in Philadelphia. If the enormous the back were actually in the newsroom. Will there wouldn't be space for much of anything else before the broadcast? James Ray and asked CBS to always referred, the Univac is a computer, but Cronkite in Collingwood keep calling it an electric brain and they feel

tell to explain what it's doing in their newsroom. They know this whole setup is confounding so assurances, or in order or a trick, it's an experiment. We think it's going to work, we don't know, we hope it will work. Any rate for the last six weeks, or so some twenty five mathematicians statisticians, and searchers, including some of the countries best mathematical brains, had been working on the problem which we've given to this electronic brain try to solve for a strong woods efforts to make the Univac relatable get almost silly as he's pointing out the features of the computer, he turns to the type right. Can you say something unit back? I do that anything to say to the television audience camera moves in close to the typewriter. The keys are motionless. The page is blank. Collingwood gets paudi in cause. The machine impolite Collingwood tells v Where is how the Univac works? It calculates two thousand

additions each second, it can compare early incoming results to past elections to predict the winner around the country. Mill turn their dials to CBS to see what this computer can do, but of those viewers at his home in New Canaan Connecticut is Thomas Watson, senior Beijing chief executive of IBM he is, and for the for time in a long time when you use a is a little Zoom video communications with the web's best reviewed video conference service is used by millions to meet one on one or even hundreds at a time. Zoom video conferencing. Let's you connect face to face with any across town or around the world with flawless video, clear, audio and instant

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I'm David Brown with so much information available at our fingertips. Today, it's hard to imagine a time when we didn't have computers to digest millions data points in milliseconds to find the best price shoes zoom from overhead on a neighbor's house or even find love. In fact, in nineteen, fifty two CBS thought it would be so hard for Americans to wrap their heads around new marvel that season newsmen resorted to well fake news to make the public believe the very idea of this. They built a pretend computer

the front for the real one. The Univac wouldn't bring it into the computer rage with warp, speed, mind you, but it did open us up to the notion of computing power, of creating whole new industries like micro chips and software and shrinking the office size computers to something more personal hours. Six part Series is going to look at the Univac a new product. There wasn't just evolutionary it was revolutionary and the behind the scenes, war between its creator, Remington Rand and its biggest competitor, a company called International business machines. You know them today is IBM. This is episode, one, the electronic brain and you could listen to the first four episodes of this new series. Add free right now by subscribing to wonder Y plus IBM, CEO too,

must watch and then seventy eight years old tuned into CBS that election night in nineteen fifty two out of political interest, and maybe it was also personal. He, the friend at Eisenhower after the war and convinced the retired general, to take the post President of Columbia University, where watching long served on the board, but during Collingwood's description of the Univac Watson fixates on the tv for a different reason. He thought he had defeated James ran decades before but somehow Rand. That's the brand of Remington Rand has Engineer attack technology and public relations Coup Remington Rand Univac is right there. On tv in front of fifteen million people, the embellished Univac makes Watson's, IBM tabulating machine, look like a creaky old, antique watch it at an age when his jowls agonists ulcers, burned constantly rain,

is IBM's builder in monarch, he's been running the company for really forty years going back to nineteen fourteen when he was brought in by investors to guide a tiny dysfunctional business called computing, tabulating, recording company or Ctr, it was the best job Watson could get at the time. As a younger man, he had a spectacular careers, a top executive at national Cash Register in Dayton. Oh no that's in CR for short, but that career came crashing down when the US government sued in CR for criminal antitrust in nineteen, twelve and convicted Wah, being a monopolist sustain, watched and felt he could never quite a race. The Ctr company that watch an inherited made, the world's first tabulating machines. These mechanical devices could add in sort numbers far faster than a room full of humans. They stored data on rectangular cards bunch with holes later known as punch cards,

Watson recognize the value in tabulating machines and the new field of data processing by the late 1920s. He changed the company name to international business machines and built it into the world's first high growth, superstar tech company. One of his few challengers had been James Rand, who owned a company called powers relating machine company, IBM made sure it cornered the sun, tabulating machines and then crippled ran and by charging exorbitant licensing fees Rans company shriveled for that ran. I would never forgive watching. By election night in nineteen, fifty two watching certainly aware of a new technology for data processing, IBM's machine, it always worked using electromechanical switches which were reliable but slow during

world war. Two, the government funded research into the emerging field of electronics. Scientists found that vacuum tubes, similar to those that powered radios, could be made to switch on and off at super high speeds that meant the tubes could be made to do the work of IBM's mechanical switches, but much faster and with no moving parts watching first learned about the technology during the war but considered it unreliable still does. Even in one thousand nine hundred and fifty two, the tubes burnout, they can behave erratically. In fact, Watson is certain that no corporation would want to put its critical functions on a bulky. Electronic computer at least not yet so IBM builds its own electronic computer. But it's in a lab and the company considers it an experiment. A prototype. Do I plans in the works to unveil it soon? Watson figures he has some time,

but seeing Rans Univac on TV gives him pause. The best we can hope for is that the Univac screw is a live on. The air making ran looked like a charlatan that would make it easy for Watson in his last act at IBM. Two one veil his version and Sand Rand into oblivion. For good leading the Democrat, the independent or, however, you would label in twenty thousand approaching ten thirty pm there's not a lot of conclusive election news coming from the CBS newsroom people are counting paper ballots by hand. The process is slow, some states have reported result, and so far Stevenson is ahead in the electoral college count. While Eisenhower leads the popular vote to gin up some excitement, the camera turns to call we would still sitting at the Univac. He refers to the machine as if it's a sentient being old, you might sit down just a minute wave

we're talking about old unit back here and, as I was saying that it's a great believer in the machine where at a little bit of trouble with the unit back, it seems that he's refilling against the Cuman element. If we pet him some figures, which were a lot of the line of the sort of thing that he'd been expecting an so univec came up, They just wouldn't work under these conditions. Collingwood is being cagey here. The real machine, whirring away back in Philadelphia, had taken in early results. Its calculations predict that I in an hour will win by a landslide, but unifax calculations didn't match posters, pre election predictions of a close election and it didn't match the expectations of the venerable CBS Journal, send executives so the humans at CBS refused to air Univac's forecast. The Philadelphia team is panicking.

They've assembled the star pioneers of electronic computing, including J Presper, Eckert and John Markley, who, during the war, got credit for inventing the very first electronic computer dead, Eniac, Grace Hopper a pioneer computer programmer is on the election night team furiously trying to under and what's gone wrong. James Randi not in the room, but his home glued to the CBS broadcast on his tv in Connecticut watching rain for IBM's reputation, stares at the screen, hoping Univac goes up in smoke in the run. The Univac team in Philly hastily changes some figures and tries the program again. This time he comes out with a prediction: the CBS team can live with. Collingwood goes on the air that were poured a new prediction showing a close win for Eisenhower. In other words, it looks as though

for Eisenhower, is going to get it as far as Univac is concerned. Now back to Walter, Cronkite camera rolls back to Cronkite at his anchor desk and that's the prediction from the university electronic brain one in the newsroom yet understands how the Univac has been compromised. The new prediction is dead wrong. Business sponsored by audible, audible, has the world's largest selection of audio books and audio entertainment, including audible array, nails, audible, originals, are stories created exclusively for audio, including documentaries, exclusive audio books and scripted show those that you can't hear anywhere else right now, I'm listening to inaudible original, called it burns. The scandal plagued raced to breed the world's hottest chili. Sometimes you just need to hear us sorry that completely jolts you out of your own head and this one is really doing that for me, its wild. It's funny it's about so much more than chili's, with the convene

the audible app you can list anytime anywhere and on any device. Mobile Alexa enabled Bluetooth and more as a member. You can easily exchange any title. You don't love at any time. Plus you get to keep your life very of listens. Even if you cancel start listening with thirty day, audible trial choose one audio book and to audible, originals, absolutely free visit, audible, dot com, Slash B, w or Text B, w two five hundred five hundred, that's audible, dot com, Slash B, w or Text B, w two five hundred five hundred Hey it's David. I wanted to let you know that you can now hear add free new episodes of business wars plus are older episodes also completely ad free. Only on stitcher premium, plus with stitcher premium you'll get. Access to tons of other ad free shows from the wondering network shows like dirty. John and doctor. Death

plus hundreds of hours of original content exclusive bonus episodes from some of your other favorite podcasts and so much more can sign up now for a free month of stitcher premium. By going to stitcherpremium dot com, slash wondering and using the promo code wondering. Then, once you signed up just download the Stitcher app for Ios or Android. Start enjoying to add free wondering that work experience, that's stitcher premium, dot, com, slash wondering and promo code wondering. James bradberry everything on the election night broadcast he watch is his tv

doing the outcome over the next few hours will decide his future either Univac will triumphantly win the Publix adulation or random. His company will become the punchline of jokes about the stupidity of electronic brains. Rant is sixty six years old. More than a decade younger than watching E stocky, intense and sophisticated brandishing his Harvard education whenever convenient. He liked to race speedboats in the early 20th century, ran founded and presided over Rand Cardex. One of the most successful office products. Companies in the US, in nineteen, twenty seven seeking to move up to more compelling and pricey products ran bought two companies, one was powers, tab waiting machine, the only real competitor to IBM's, much more established tabulating machine business. The other way Remington typewriter maker of the first electric typewriters

James ran renamed. His parent company, Remington Rand Rand is no angel, throughout the 1930s. He got into legal trouble. The securities and Change Commission charged him twice with stock manipulation. He got hauled before a grain jury for his role in trying to break a strike at Remington Rand. He was never found guilty of any of the charges. The demands of world war two allowed ran to transform Remington Rand into a major defense contractor not long for the war. He scooped up. Eniac builders, Eckerd and Motley who've been trying to build an get their own electronic computers, but we're going bankrupt. The deal fell Even better to because IBM had rejected a deal with him, writing them off as eccentric dream. Watch it and ran to use their relative strengths market share versus engineering supremacy to bleed each other, but it's ran to grab How to harness the power of a new medium. Tell

television is taking the country, My storm only two years before in nineteen fifty about ten percent of homes had a tv, a comedian, change that dramatically. You know it isn't. Every day the Mister and MRS Fred Mertz celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. That's right that such a long time, twenty five years, yeah twenty five years, sounds longer. When you say I love Lucy debuted in one thousand nine hundred and fifty one reason enough. Many families to buy a tv, the number of homes with tv's triples, so the Dixie Redhead had something to do with a large audience on election night that night other than the fake Univac. Everything else in the CBS newsroom is low tech 14th.

What type machines chatter? In the background, bringing the latest reports from election commissioners huge wall Map keeps track of electoral college results, as vote tallies. Come in reporters stick states on the map by hand striped if they go republican solid. If they go Democrat. Tv broadcasters can't use colors like red and blue when TV's are only black and white, just after one thousand one hundred and thirty that night Walter Cronkite Turns to the venerable Edward R Murrow for an update moro in a dark suit, reads off of papers on his desk in his deep somber voice. He does. He is reasonably certain that this election is over and that Eisenhower come out the winner. He then throws the newscast back to crunk who brings in Univac for the first time in more than an hour now universe, Una, Vaca, Electronic

train with your moment ago, still thought there was a seven two eight chance for Governor Stevenson says that the chances are one hundred to one in favor of General Eisenhower. I might note that you know MAC is running a few moments behind at Morrow however, at Murrow, some uh fifteen or twenty minutes ago that he thought there was in the bag for General Eisenhower. Cronkite snarky comment is terribly unfair. In fact, that was exactly the result Univac had predicted hours earlier and that CBS had rejected and refused to air. The Univac team in Philadelphia, believing they must have made a mistake. Had re calculated their election forecast based on numbers that turned out to be wrong. When the team realized, the error and re ran the program with the correct figures. The projections the machine spit out were in line with its early Forecast of an Eisenhower win by a landslide at midnight. The results become obvious,

Eisenhower is up by six hundred thousand in the popular vote and is secured. Four one hundred and eight electoral votes to Stevenson's one hundred and twenty three shortly after midnight, CBS decides to come clean about the universe, Charles Collingwood announces that CBS has a camera in the Philadelphia LAB of Remington Rand and we'll get an explanation from Charles Draper who runs Remington Rand's research lab uh. What happened there when we came out with that Funny Prediction Draper in his fifty is wearing a light suit. His hair must in front of the real univac. He seems bemused as he speaks. Well, we a lot of troubles tonight, strangely enough,

They were all human and not the machine humans. Draper says, refuse to believe that Univac could have been right, so we asked Univac the foot gap, a lot of the trend, information that we have put into it. Assuming that that was wrong. Are you in the back worked on a smaller, more picking up knowledge that won't give a wrong answer that it'll the odd to the extent that you saw as the prediction more votes came in the odds came back, and it was obviously evidence that we should have had nerve enough to believe. We have seen in the first place. It was right. We were wrong next year will believe it broadcast shifts back to the New York newsroom, which gets word that Adlai Stevenson is preparing to concede. The election.

It's hard to overestimate the impact of this moment on the american public. To this point, electronic computers have been eight. Seeing things to the vast majority of people at most, they were seen, Instruments of science, relate the movement of planets or solve some math equation that has will bearing on anyone's day to day life as November. Fourth, nine fifty two turns into November fifth, one thousand nine hundred and fifty two people get it electronic compe. Hooters are an exciting new invention that can do things never before possible, and they are very, very real. However, starting this minute These wondrous machines are not known as electronic computers or electric brains, thanks to its tv star turned the con. Station is now about a new noun Univac's in one swift, public relations,

the underdog Remington Rand defines a new generation of technology in its own image. James? Rand is elated after decades of trying he finally best Thomas Watson in his bedroom. In Connecticut, Thomas Watson is severely shaken for the first time he thinks maybe he's too old to be in charge of IBM. He he's been bringing along his son, Thomas Watson, Junior who's, been pushing his father hard, get IBM into electronics. The elder Watson has been holding back the ambitions of his son and younger electronics. Engineers, he'd hired lying in bed. Watson thinks about unleashing IBM's electronics. Believers in giving them is full backing. Ibm has forty five thousand p full and nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue by comparison, Remington Rand is a pipsqueak Watson Watch and thinks to himself.

So James ran wants a computer war. Will Rand is going to get one on the next episode and overconfident Watson senior fumbles a unique opportunity to secure IBM's future, but his competitors snaps up that opportunity and scores big. This is the first in the series of the first computer wore new episodes of business. Wars come out every Tuesday and Thursday. We hope you enjoyed this episode of business Wars C right now: an apple podcast, Stitcher NPR one. I heart radio, one three dot com or, where ever you listen to podcasts you'll, find a link on episode, notes, just tap or swipe over the cover, You'll also see some offers from our sponsors like square space, to make your website go to squares, dot com and enter code VW at checkout. Please support our show by supporting

If you want to hear more of the first Computer WAR series right away, you can get the first four episodes of the series ad free for their released anywhere else by subscribing. Out of plus go to wondere dot com, slash plus that's a plus. They also get exclusive access to other wondering shows, in addition to extra content and exclusive perks. Another way to support us is to answer short survey at wondering: dot com. Slash survey and if there's some business war stories, you'd like to hear well by all means, let us know: I'm your host David Brown, Kevin Maney, wrote this story, he's the author of the maverick and his machine, Thomas Watson, senior and them IBM our senior producer and editor Sound Design Bay area. South hours executive producer is Marshall Lewis, and it was created on Lopez for wondering

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