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Campaign builds to construct Babbage Analytical Engine

Spotted this in the news and thought others here might be interested. Would it not be wonderful to see a real Babbage analytical engine in operation? Well maybe one day we will!

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8064569/Campaign-launched-to-build-Charles-Babbages-Analytical-Engine.html

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11530905

 

http://plan28.org/

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7 Comments

  1. Victor1st Mornington Victor1st Mornington October 15, 2010

    ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh XD

  2. Mr Tenk Mr Tenk October 16, 2010

    schwaaay!

    2 difference engines have been built, one spent a year at the computer history museum for a year, enroute to a dotcom millionaire’s living room. i had me daddy-o take the really long way to the airport so we could see it. They’ve also go a nonfuntioning cray, somebody turn off the bubble machine!

    see and hear the video  http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/

  3. Avariel Falcon Avariel Falcon October 16, 2010

    There is a working difference engine at the London science museum. They have even made the printer for it now. But this device is the much more complex analytical engine, which is closer to our modern computers in the way it functions.

  4. Cral Denimore Cral Denimore October 16, 2010

    I find the final comment most telling…

    The machine should never be built. It will unleash forces beyond our control. The world is in great danger.”

    So, clearly, we should build one in New Babbage.  It would be the crowning achievement of the City State.    What could possibly go wrong? 

    Well, the Church might worship it as the physical incarnation of the Great Builder’s spirit, and follow its orders blindly, I suppose…

    ((Obviously AE should design it))

    • Bookworm Hienrichs Bookworm Hienrichs October 18, 2010

      Sounds to me like someone got this story mixed up with the Large Hadron Collector. *grin*

  5. Glaubrius Valeska Glaubrius Valeska October 18, 2010

    I’ve heard tell of a babbage engine made of tinker toys, I shall look into it (a graduate student’s project as I recall…).

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