The women in the computer room scene on Spaceship Earth

C

cloudboy

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I just learned this today. Dr. Valerie Thomas was a scientist with NASA. She oversaw the Landsat program, and then later was the computer facility manager. From there, she expanded the SPAN network, which went on to become a vital part of today's Internet. So, that scene in the computer center has a lot more meaning - both in terms of the person represented, as well as how it connects the scene of the first personal computer to the internet data speed tunnel, and eventually to the star dome.
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I actually knew that because when I toured UMBC about a decade ago (oh yeesh, I'm getting up there) she was mentioned since she taught there. She is pretty incredible. Thanks for sharing.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Tom Morrow said:
Is it really supposed to be her? Or is it like the guy in the garage which resembles Steve Wozniak but isn't specifically him.
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I'm pretty sure that none of the animatronics are actually the real person, just a figure representing them 😉 and left to us to draw our own conclusions. Of course, the guy in the garage is Wozniak*, but it could also be Steve Jobs. That is the fun part. The more someone has information about the world around them the broader their horizons.

* Most likely
 
eliza61nyc

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
Lol thanks for the info. For my family it's me in HS trying to rock a "fro". I would post pictures but your eyed would not thank me😄😄
 
Kamikaze

Kamikaze

Well-Known Member
cloudboy said:
I just learned this today. Dr. Valerie Thomas was a scientist with NASA. She oversaw the Landsat program, and then later was the computer facility manager. From there, she expanded the SPAN network, which went on to become a vital part of today's Internet. So, that scene in the computer center has a lot more meaning - both in terms of the person represented, as well as how it connects the scene of the first personal computer to the internet data speed tunnel, and eventually to the star dome.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty (99%) sure that the figure in SSE is an amalgamation of various women of the time and place, not a specific person.

Go watch Hidden Figures. Just ignore Jim Parsons existing.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Sbk1234 said:
Like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. ;)
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I could be off here, but didn't Disney create Capt. Jack Sparrow and wasn't Depp playing that character. Never once when seeing Capt. Jack in Pirate's did I think... Oh, look there's Johnny Depp. This is where suspension of disbelief comes in handy as Capt. Jack is not a real person, he is just a character played by Mr. Depp. The person in garage in SSE represents a real person, but isn't specific it's left to your imagination. It's quite similar to James Bond. To me the best James Bond was Sean Connery, but he was not actually James Bond. Savvy?
 
Diamond Dot

Diamond Dot

Well-Known Member
Tom Morrow said:
Is it really supposed to be her? Or is it like the guy in the garage which resembles Steve Wozniak but isn't specifically him.
Click to expand...
I always thought it was Steve Jobs, but, it's probably an amalgamation of all of the guys involved involved in making computers accessible to homes.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Diamond Dot said:
I always thought it was Steve Jobs, but, it's probably an amalgamation of all of the guys involved involved in making computers accessible to homes.
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Jobs was the idea guy. He dreamed up all the things he wanted a computer to do. Wozniak made it happen but Woz wasn't a guy comfortable with to much attention whereas Jobs lived for it. Woz was a Wizard. Now a very rich Wizard. He doesn't get anywhere near the credit he deserves.
 
J

Joffrey

Active Member
Goofyernmost said:
I could be off here, but didn't Disney create Capt. Jack Sparrow and wasn't Depp playing that character. Never once when seeing Capt. Jack in Pirate's did I think... Oh, look there's Johnny Depp. This is where suspension of disbelief comes in handy as Capt. Jack is not a real person, he is just a character played by Mr. Depp. The person in garage in SSE represents a real person, but isn't specific it's left to your imagination. It's quite similar to James Bond. To me the best James Bond was Sean Connery, but he was not actually James Bond. Savvy?
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The character Jack Sparrow did not exist before the movies. He was retrofitted into the ride after the movies proved a success.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Joffrey said:
The character Jack Sparrow did not exist before the movies. He was retrofitted into the ride after the movies proved a success.
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Right, I know that Sparrow was not in the Pirates ride until after the movie. The character was created for the movie. but that wasn't the question or the discussion. See below.

cloudboy said:
Disney will never place an animatronic of a living person (outside of the Presidents) due to licensing issues. It will always be "a representation" of that type of person. That being said, there is more to it than just a women working in a computer lab.
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Sbk1234 said:
Like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. ;)
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