6 More Terp Innovations That Changed History

From a computing breakthrough found in every modern PC and mobile device to gear that helps keep your very good boy very safe in the car seat next to you, the variety of world-changing ideas and inventions was too big for us to fit into Terp magazine's recent cover story, “25 Terp Innovations That Changed History.” Others we didn’t know about.

We set out this year to celebrate some of the greatest contributions from University of Maryland researchers and alums in the context of the U.S.’s 250th anniversary. Knowing that such a list can never be exhaustive, we asked you to tell us what we missed, and here’s what we heard back:

The technology that lets computers, tablets and smartphones juggle on-screen graphics, a YouTube video and other tasks stems from research by electrical and computer engineering Professor Uzi Vishkin. Of all the game-changing technologies we didn’t include, this one sits at the top of the list.

Professional bios of Vishkin that we read as we sifted through possible article topics seriously underplayed the ubiquity of his 2005 invention for building parallel processing into a computer’s central processing unit (CPU), with one referring to its use in “over a billion” devices. Not bad, but the true count is probably over 20 billion … or maybe over 40 billion. No authoritative count exists of all the chips built into computing devices since Vishkin (who has a joint appointment with the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies) laid the groundwork for the CPU-plus-integrated-graphics chips that became standard in the 2010s. Whatever the true total, it’s history-changing.

In an era when newsrooms were shrinking, Roy Schwartz ‘98, MBA ’01 made headlines with a new kind of journalism website. He co-founded Axios in 2016 around the idea of “smart brevity,” breaking articles into easily digestible, bite-sized chunks with lead-in phrases like “why it matters” and “what’s happening” to guide readers. The strategy helped make scannable summaries mainstream as other outlets shortened their copy, especially for mobile-first readers.

Supercomputers used to be custom-built behemoths. David Bader Ph.D. ‘96 helped change that in 1998, using an idea developed at UMD to build the first one that uses the open-source Linux operating system, consumer, off-the shelf parts, and a high-speed, low-latency interconnection network. It was also the first Linux supercomputer opened to the national science and engineering community, and pioneered what would soon become the standard architecture for such machines.

Internet from space can bypass the wonky wiring and bad cellular reception that can plague its terrestrial counterpart, and more importantly, allow you to get online almost anywhere on Earth. John Baras, a Distinguished University Professor in electrical and computer engineering, invented the technology, and with his students demonstrated the first working broadband internet-over-satellite protocol in 1994. Three decades later, satellite broadband is having its moment as SpaceX’s Starlink service grows into a leading provider.

Here’s an innovation that truly bridges the gap for Marylanders. Before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge linked the state’s Eastern and Western shores in 1952, cars would back up for miles to wait for ferries to cross the water, or else take the long way around. Herschel H. Allen 1910 designed and oversaw construction of what was then the longest over-water steel structure, which eased travel and boosted economic growth in the state. The dual-span bridge turns 75 next year.

Those of us with canine family members don’t want to leave them in the backyard or a kennel when we drive away. Sanjeev Singh M.S. ’95, Ph.D. ’98 answered our call for what we missed by pointing out his patented two-connection dog seatbelt. His harness connects to both ends of a car’s seatbelt, so a dog has room to move on an ordinary drive and gets held in place by the car’s own locking mechanism in a sudden stop. Off the road, it works as a walking vest with a leash ring.