Mainframes in Pop Culture

We’re in the long, hot days of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, and while many of us may not be on summer holidays, our Planet Mainframe Trivia Quiz is going to venture into new territory – mainframes in pop culture!

Mainframes may be known for their reliability and power in the enterprise world, but they’ve also left a lasting impression on pop culture. From Cold War fears to cinematic supercomputers, mainframes have often been portrayed as mysterious, powerful, or even dangerous. This quiz explores how mainframes have appeared outside the data center – the media moments that reveal just how deeply they’ve shaped the cultural narrative around computing.

Grab yourself something cold and test your knowledge of mainframe pop culture trivia!

1. What real-life mainframe is widely believed to have inspired the name of HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey? (Hint: Look at the letters in the name and where they are placed in the alphabet.)

 
 
 
 

2. In the 1983 film WarGames, what is the name of the military supercomputer that nearly launches a nuclear war?

 
 
 
 

3. What 1980s arcade game was inspired by the visual aesthetic of mainframes and early computer networks?

 
 
 
 

4. In The Matrix, the machines enslaving humanity operate a simulation built on a massive computing system. What does this represent metaphorically?

 
 
 
 

5. What fictional corporation in Blade Runner uses advanced computing systems to manufacture replicants?

 
 
 
 

6. Which 1995 film featured a group of teen hackers breaking into mainframe systems and referencing real-world computer networks like ARPANET?

 
 
 
 

7. Which tech giant famously ran a 1970s ad campaign declaring “A computer on every desk,” helping shift perception away from centralized mainframes?

 
 
 
 

8. Which long-running animated TV show featured a gag in which a government mainframe claims to know everything – right before crashing?

 
 
 
 

9. What fictional mainframe computer in Star Trek: The Original Series was asked a logic puzzle and self-destructed as a result?

 
 
 
 

10. In WarGames, what lesson does the fictional (and self-aware) WOPR mainframe ultimately learn after simulating countless nuclear war scenarios?

 
 
 
 

Sonja Soderlund is an Oregon-based B2B freelance writer. Whether writing about mainframe computers, educational technology, or sustainable retail, she strives to bring clarity to complex issues.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *