technology / Real

Was a real moth found in an early computer?

Yes. The Smithsonian preserves the famous 1947 log page with a moth from the Harvard Mark II.

The Claim

An actual moth was taped into a computer log as a bug.

The Answer

The word bug predates the moth story, but the documented moth incident made a delightful literal entry in computing folklore.

Why This Is Surprising

It sounds like the kind of claim that races around social feeds without context. The source trail matters because the best version of the wonder is the verified one.

How We Checked It

We looked for an authoritative primary source, checked the wording against at least one credible secondary source when available, and recorded the last review date.

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