You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Victorian Age Mechanical Computer Restored, Operational
Long before Cray, Commodore 64 and Punch cards, mathematical calculations were performed by hand. Astronomy and maritime navigation required precise trigonometry, which relied heavily on large volumes of ratio tables. In 1821, British mathematician Charles Babbage took it upon himself to design a mechanism to precisely determine these error-prone solutions. He named his creation The Difference Engine, and although funding issues prevented its completion, his precise blueprints allowed his idea to survive to the modern day. A museum curator and a group of engineers have faithfully recreated the hand-crank computer out of cast bronze and iron, and it is fully functional and currently on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA.
Although we might scoff at the ability to calculate a logarithm to 31 digits, Babbage's basic computing principles, such as representing alphabet characters with numbers, formed the foundation of modern technology. The furious pace of our current civilization makes it easy to forget how far we have come in a mere 200 years. Student Experts may never utilize the power of steam to guarantee sailors safe passage, yet our comprehensive understanding of modern computing s can make a difference for your home or business. With consultants available to help you use CloudProfile to promote your small business, as well as software upgrade and network security advice, SE is the place to be for IT.
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