Mar 2, 20080
Grokking Grok
Grok Robots reader Isela wrote in with the opinion that I should expand on the origins of the word “grok.”The word was coined in 1961 by Robert A. Heinlein in Stranger in a Strange Land. From there it jumped all over the place in science fiction spheres but also into popular culture with Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. It has long been a favorite of early computer hackers, so it is no surprise it was a favorite of the editors of Wired magazine (who I quote I on the about page).
You can find out more about grok at Wikipedia, including why it loses a lot in the translation from the original Martian.
I chose it for the title of the site because I think it captures the idea of this site well. Plus, it is just fun to say.
