(Fully operational Difference Engine at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA)From the article:
The story goes that Babbage was inspired to create the Difference Engine one day when he came across multiple errors in a book of astronomical calculations. "I wish to God these calculations had been executed by steam!" he exclaimed.
Listen (or read) the rest of the story.
You have to love a guy who exclaims "I wish to God these calculations had been executed by steam!"
10 comments:
Cool! I can't quite wrap my head around steampunk myself (although I find it an exciting idea in the abstract), but real-life steampunk is pretty awesome. I wonder if Babbage wore goggles.
I love steampunk, although I love cyberpunk even more. I think it's a matter of finding GOOD steampunk. There's a lot out there that's just kind of meh.
Yeah, same here...don't think I have read a steampunk story I actually enjoyed...
It amazes me the inventions of the past and what they were intended for. Of course, someday people will say the same thing about our way of life.
KC - He does in my imagination.
Carrie - Drowning in meh, for sure.
Barry - It's been a bit overkill of late.
Jamie - Yeah, like computers that take up a whole desk. Ridiculous!
Well, it does wonders on wrinkled clothes!
I'm not as in love with steampunk as I expected to be and a little disappointed by that fact.
Natalie - *shakes fist at wrinkles*
Cate - I'm with you. Such promise, but...somehow the execution falls short.
In the last show, some of the Victoria's Secret models had steampunk-looking wings. Gorgeous and amazing! I totally dug the look of them.
-Mercedes
I saw this just before I left for the weekend on someone's twitter feed (probably Cherie Priest, actually!) and almost died of joy. Gah.
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