This is a past event.

The College of Computing and the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems is proud to present "Idle Hands: How Windows Solitaire Invented Contemporary Computing," a keynote talk by Dr. Ian Bogost, an author, an award-winning game designer, a Founding Partner at Persuasive Games LLC (an independent game studio), and a Contributing Writer at The Atlantic.

Windows Solitaire is the most widely distributed computer game ever (thanks to having been bundled with most versions of Microsoft’s operating system since 1990). But it is also a an early signal for the technological life people ended up leading, thanks to the model popularized, in part, by Windows and its successors. It’s a life in which the act of operating the computer is an end in itself. 

Solitaire’s precursors stretch back centuries, from medieval tarot through Victorian patience games and beyond. It is a game of waiting for an outcome to transpire, a perfect match for industrialization in the 19th century and the knowledge economy in the 20th. This talk covers solitaire’s material history, from chance and divination to prospectors’ toy and office-worker diversion. Unexpectedly, it also invented the way we use computers—and live life—today. 

Appetizers will be served starting at 4:30pm in the Rozsa Lobby along with student and faculty research demonstrations prior to the keynote at 6:00pm. 

This event is free and open to the public. 

Please reserve your spot.