Making Smalltalk: The Origins and Impact of the Groundbreaking Software Environment

Before the Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, Python, Java, and Objective-C, there was Smalltalk. 

50 years ago this September, Smalltalk, which ultimately revolutionized personal computing, graphical user interfaces, and programming languages, was first created at Xerox PARC in Alan Kay’s Learning Research Group as a way to help children learn by using computers. 

Join us for a night with Smalltalk pioneers and 2022 CHM Fellows Adele Goldberg and Daniel Ingalls to celebrate Smalltalk’s 50th anniversary. In an interactive discussion with moderator John Markoff, Goldberg and Ingalls will explore Smalltalk’s original mission in education and its influence on the world of object-oriented programming languages, development environments, and software engineering methodologies. Adding to the conversation will be newly-recorded remarks for this historic occasion from Smalltalk creator Alan Kay. 

What You’ll Learn 

• How can computing transform learning? 
• How did research into computing for education lead to graphical user interfaces? 
• What is live programming, why is it so useful, and why hasn’t it taken off in the industry?
• Why have Smalltalk and object-oriented programming become so influential on other programming languages?
• How did Smalltalk influence the development of Agile software development methodology?
• How did Smalltalk become used in the finance industry?