Debunking Raniere: Claims to have understood computers at age 4 [1964]?!?!?

As one reader writes “I just love debunking sociopathic liars”

According to a June 26, 1988, Albany Times Union story about Keith Raniere, he claims he understood quantum phycis and computers at age 4.

1988 06 26 Timues union Troy man has a lot on hius mind

When Raniere was 4, it was 1964.  No one had personal computers. Computers were in their infancy.

Yet Raniere understood computers at age 4?

Sounds believable:

Let’s see what kind of computers the four year old was exposed to and understood::

Computer History – 1964

Major computer events in 1964

Kenneth Olsen is issued U.S. patent #3,161,861 on December 15, 1964 for Magnetic core memory.

Other computer events in 1964

Dartmouth College John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz develop Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Language (BASIC) and run it for the first time May 1, 1964.

Baran publishes reports “On Distributed Communications.”

The term “double bucky” is coined at Stanford University in 1964.

AT&T starts the practice of monitoring telephone calls in the hopes of identifyingphreakers.

The TRANSIT system becomes operational on U.S. Polaris submarines. This system later becomes known as GPS.

Leonard Kleinrock publishes his first book on packet nets entitled “Communication Nets: Stochastic Message Flow and Design.”

The first computerized encyclopedia is invented at the Systems Development Corporation.

New computer products and services introduced in 1964

On April 7, 1964 IBM introduces its System/360, the first of its computers to use interchangeable software and peripheral equipment.

In 1964, the Programma 101 desktop computer, invented by Pier Giorgio Perotto, was unveiled to the public at the New York World’s Fair.

Computer pioneers born in 1964

Jeff Bezos is born January 12, 1964

Harry Mccracken is born April 2, 1964

Tom Hall is born September 2, 1964

Jack Ma is born September 10, 1964

Marc Benioff is born September 25, 1964

Eric Bina is born in October 1964

Megan Smith is born in October 1964

Tsutomu Shimomura is born October 23, 1964

Hugh Herr is born October 25, 1964

Paul Graham is born November 13, 1964

Alan Emtage is born November 27, 1964

Simon Travaglia is born in November of 1964

Clay Shirky is born in 1964

Computer pioneer deaths in 1964

Norbert Wiener passs away March 18, 1964 (Age: 69)

« 1963 – Computer History – 1965 »

Frank Parlato