Miss Formula
Miss Formula, who made her debut in 1964, was said to be "a computer's idea of how the perfect female should look." Though she was actually what the engineers at California Computer Products, Inc. thought the perfect female should look like. They designed her and the computer printed her out.
California Computer Products (CalComp) was eventually acquired by the Lockheed Corporation. I wonder if Miss Formula still resides somewhere in their computer systems.
California Computer Products (CalComp) was eventually acquired by the Lockheed Corporation. I wonder if Miss Formula still resides somewhere in their computer systems.
Tampa Tribune - July 31, 1964
Pittsburgh Press - July 29, 1964
Pomona Progress-Bulletin - July 29, 1964
Comments
If Miss Formula weights under 117 lbs, she is underweight. Those guys probably bought posters of Twiggy as soon as they became available.
Posted by Yudith on 11/26/22 at 06:22 AM
In college, I somehow came across the card deck for the program that printed out a nude woman on a line printer. In case there is someone who was alive then and never saw this, you got whatever shading text characters would give you, on 4 of those huge green-and-white pages. It looked great to us, but we were 18-year-old guys. Yes, a punch-card deck. It was 4 or 5" thick, as I recall. This was when there was just one computer for the entire school, and it had its own building. You submitted your deck for the operators to run. Some horndog grad student in my dept begged for the loan of it, so he could make a copy. Well, the computer operators were outraged and kept everything (for themselves and their buddies, I feel sure). He said he was lucky to come out with his computer privileges intact.
She looks a lot better when done on a plotter; I don't think those were invented yet when I was in school. Our program ran more along the lines of a DD cup size, however, and I don't care for the swimsuit.
She looks a lot better when done on a plotter; I don't think those were invented yet when I was in school. Our program ran more along the lines of a DD cup size, however, and I don't care for the swimsuit.
Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 11/26/22 at 12:47 PM
Should we be surprised that what is perhaps the earliest application of AI was to create a picture of a girl in a bikini?
Posted by Brian on 11/26/22 at 06:48 PM
@Yudith: according to her BMI (yes, I know, but none of those petty objections apply here), she's actually healthy. On the low end of the normal range. And remember, this is a young, office-type woman, not a farm hand, so no extra muscle weight to bulk her up.
@Virtual: there were many of those, hundreds if not thousands. Some were actually quite good. (And plotters probably had been invented when you were in school, but they would have been industrial machines your school could not have afforded.)
@Virtual: there were many of those, hundreds if not thousands. Some were actually quite good. (And plotters probably had been invented when you were in school, but they would have been industrial machines your school could not have afforded.)
Posted by Richard Bos on 11/27/22 at 04:19 AM
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests | Technology | Computers | 1960s