PULLMAN, Wash., Sept. 1 -- Washington State University issued the following news release:
Washington State University's resident feline scientist, Dr. Universe, answers a key question from Arnaaz, 10, of New Jersey: Why aren't keyboard keys arranged in ABC order?
With help from WSU librarian and trained historian Erin Hvizdak, Dr. Universe explores the origins of the QWERTY keyboard, which debuted on early typewriters in the 1870s.
Readers learn why the familiar claim that QWERTY was designed to slow typists and prevent jams may not tell the whole story. The layout could instead have helped telegraph operators quickly transcribe messages sent in Morse code.
They'll also discover why QWERTY remained the standard as typewriters spread thr...