The Future That Never Came

Abstract

Källén was an adherent of modern technology. After all he was a certified engineer. Early on, when many scholars regarded mathematical work on computers with contempt and suspicion, Källén was, on the contrary, a great supporter. His optimism and joy in getting his computer programs to work shine through several of his letters, for example when he informs his friend and collaborator John Toll, in 1960, about:

“… what is happening with the DANAD-curve. As I wrote earlier, I have put the curve into the electronic computer we have in the basement. I now have about 20 cases computed for various combinations of the z:s. …”

One should keep in mind that the “computer in the basement” that Källén is talking about, was a machine called SMIL (Digital Machine in Lund). It was one of the first computers (in the civil sector) in Sweden and its inception was such a remarkable happening that the Swedish Minister of Education and Religion was present at its inauguration ceremony, in 1956.

Later on Källén was a strong supporter of the upgrading of SMIL. In a letter dated 9 February 1960, addressed to the “Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation”, he strongly supports a proposal, made by his colleague in charge of SMIL, that funding be provided to increase the capacity of SMIL. He informed the Foundation that he is doing advanced computations and needs to have a computer “with very large capacity”. The application was for an increase of the capacity “from 2048 to 4096 places”, as Källén puts it.