scarlettina: (Geek Crossing)
scarlettina ([personal profile] scarlettina) wrote2008-04-16 12:38 pm

A California difference engine

A difference engine comes to Silicon Valley--CNET

"MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--'Excuse me, Richard, we have a very large parcel.'

With those words, spoken by John Shulver of London's Science Museum, a day of supreme geekery unfolded at the Computer History Museum here.

To be precise, the package in question was the delivery and installation of a difference engine, a brand new model of a 19th-century-era machine designed--but never actually built--by Charles Babbage. It was designed to be a mechanical calculator which can determine polynomial functions."

The piece includes lots of pictures. Go feast thine eyes, my fellow tech geeks. It is a sight to behold.

Post a comment in response:

This account has disabled anonymous posting.
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting