memory dialer

this machine is an analog core rope memory connected to an atmega 2560

it has custom milled circuit boards, a custom built keyboard, and an lcd screen

it holds 140 bits of information:
20 women’s names, occupations, and professional organizations as they relate to their role in NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. it was made for the ‘Sisters in Making’ project, fulfilled during a stay as a 2023 Women@MIT fellow.

core rope memory is made by weaving wires in a binary pattern through magnetized cores. its fabrication method speaks directly to the textile origins of computers. the first computer machine was based off of the jaquard loom. before that, humans were computers. most of them were and continue to be women. the memory dialer encourages us to honor them appropriately.

the memory dialer has been displayed in MIT Rotch Library as part of the ‘Sisters in Making’ exhibition from December 2023 to April 2024, and during the ‘How to Dial a Memory’ installation at the Cambridge Science Festival in September 2024.