Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine (no. 2) in action

Culture and Society 1 Minute

For those of you who are interested in such things (and as a follow up to my post from the other day related to Babbage), I embed a youtube video of a Babbage Difference Engine, created from Babbage’s drawings and plans.  The original one was (mostly) completed in 1991, but the one on the video, which is currently on display in Mountain View, CA, was completed several years ago.  The video has details.

It’s fascinating to watch:

The machine in the video is the property of Nathan Myrhvold, who is a former CTO at Microsoft, who plans to eventually display this machine in his living room.  Man, I hope if he has guests nobody spills a drink on it.

I don’t know if i will be in California again before it’s taken off display, but if you end up near Mountain view while it’s still there check it the museum.  Hell, stop by anyway, the place looks pretty awesome.

Published by ShaunPhilly

Human, gamer, philosopher, godlike being, atheist, nonmonogamous, pariah, contrarian by nature, probably occasionally right human who writes nonsense to very few people. Some people come here only to downvote my posts. That seems sort of ridiculous, right?

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