IP: "AMAZING GRACE" SHOWCASES TECHNOLOGY from Edupage

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

The USS Hopper, the Navy's second-ever ship to be named after a woman, is a
part of a new class of "stealth ships," demonstrating the latest in marine
design and computer technology.  Named after Rear Adm. Grace Murray Hopper,
a computer pioneer credited with coining the term "bug" when she found a
moth in a switching contact, the ship is affectionately nicknamed "Amazing
Grace."  During her 40 years in the Navy, Hopper specialized in computer
programming and developed a programming language based on a series of
commands rather than elaborate mathematical codes, a breakthrough that
cleared the way for modern computing.  The 500-foot long destroyer's control
panel has a helm that looks more like a car's steering wheel, giving it a
video game aura.  The ship's hull and superstructure have slanted sides to
deflect radar, and the Navy calls it "one of the most capable warships ever
built."  (San Jose Mercury News 6 Sep 97)