Radiolab The Wubi Effect
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Aug 18, 2023 
Simon Adler, a Radiolab reporter, dives into the revolutionary story of Professor Wang Yongmin, who created the Wubi input method for Chinese characters. Tom Mullaney, a Stanford history professor, adds depth with insights on how this innovation reshaped China's technological landscape. They discuss the challenges of typing in Chinese, the clash between modern tech and cultural heritage, and the evolution of input methods. The conversation ultimately reveals how typing innovations reflect broader societal changes in China, showcasing a fascinating intersection of language and technology.
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Wang's Early Life and Work
- Professor Wang Yongmin grew up poor in rural China and excelled in school, becoming number one from first grade to university.
- He later worked at a top-secret National Defense Research Institute focused on building computers.
China's Computing Challenge
- In the 1970s, China lagged behind in computing because the Chinese language, with its vast character set, was difficult to adapt to computers.
- This posed a significant challenge to China's technological development.
Nature of Chinese Characters
- Unlike English, which uses letters representing sounds, Chinese characters are visual representations of words or ideas.
- Each character is a unique picture with a long history.