A Biography of the Pixel
by Alvy Ray Smith · first published 2021
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Traces the history and math behind turning continuous signals into discrete pixels, from the sampling theorem through computer imaging to computer animation; suits readers curious about how digital graphics were built.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…Machine is a great non-fiction but reads like a fiction account of trying to overtake the Vax by building one of the first 32-bit machines https://www.amazon.com/Soul-New-Machine-Tracy-Kidder/dp/0316... A Biography of the Pixel https://www.amazon.com/Biography-Pixel-Leonardo-Alvy-Smith/d... great overview of the innovation and math that pushed graphics forwrard The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood https://www.amazon.com/Information-History-Theory-Flood/dp/1...…
on “Ask HN: Good Books on the History of Technology?” ↗Can’t believe I’m the first/only one to post these: - Upgrade by Blake Crouch - Biography of the Pixel by Alvy Ray Smith Like Project Hail Mary, Upgrade is the kind of book I really wanted back when I was a michael crichton fan. His last book, Recursion was really my favorite. I love books that secretly…
on “Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?” ↗An interesting book to read is "A Biography of the Pixel" by Alvy Ray Smith[1], for those interested in the history of the sampling theorem, computer imaging and computer animation. It concludes with the steps leading up to the making of "Toy Story". [1] https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/5145/A-Biography-of-the-Pi...
on “The Making of Toy Story (1996) [pdf]” ↗Also worth checking out Alvy Ray Smith's 2021 book, "A Biography of the Pixel". It is (from what I've read so far), much more in the history/theory of technology field, examining the math/technology behind resolving continuous to the discrete (waves to pixels, vectors to rasters,…
on “Letter to Pixar President Ed Catmull [pdf]” ↗Biography of the Pixel looks really good as well (by the other founder, Alvy Ray Smith). Been on my list for a while
on “How the Computer Graphics Industry Got Started at the University of Utah” ↗…well. I am always on the lookout for technical books that have a good mix of history. One of my favorite examples is the "Disappearing Spoon", which is an engaging exploration of chemistry with stories. Biography of the Pixel is right up there with that.
on “A Biography of the Pixel by Alvy Ray Smith” ↗I've read "The Biography of the Pixel" book. It's an amazing and educational book about the history of computer graphics and the definition of a pixel by Smith.
on “How the Computer Graphics Industry Got Started at the University of Utah” ↗I learned recently from Alvy Ray Smith's _A Biography of the Pixel_ that Kotelnikov[1] was first to discover sampling theorem before Shannon independently did. And Shannon made it accessible to the West. It's pretty fascinating history. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Kotelnikov
on “Claude Shannon Invented the Future” ↗He wrote the book, "A Biography of the Pixel" [1], which should be an interesting read and is mentioned in the article. [1] https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/biography-pixel
on “The Little-Known Genius Who Helped Make Pixar Possible” ↗