At the University of Pennsylvania in Summer 1945, a team of engineers and mathematicians published a remarkable report proposing the design of the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) for the US Army. A universal, stored-program electronic computer, EDVAC revealed the potential to apply high-speed automatic digital calculations, performed by a computer, to a diverse selection of problems. Across the world, scientists recognised the fresh opportunities that could stem from the successful development of a universal electronic computer.