meccano babbage engine (for nerds and model builders

[hermann]

In the 19th century Babbage designed the difference engine which was essentially a computer but never made it. Over recent years his plans have been completed and found to work perfectly. Recently it has been built out of meccano.meccano babbage engine (http://www.meccano.us/difference_engines/rde_2/index.html)

http://www.meccano.us/difference_engines/rde_2/DE2_VCF8_2.jpg

[STEViE]

That went mostly, if not completely, over my head tho I'd love to see it workin' but as we're still on dial-up (which I hear is only slightly faster than Babbage's machine when driven by a Mammod steam engine) it'll take a year an' a few days to download any of that. Interestin'.

[Borg]

whos been watching QI then :)

[pyro]

whos been watching QI then :)


Quietly puts hand up...... :D

[kitkatman]

quietly scratches head :confused:

[pyro]

quietly scratches head with blunt instrument :confused:


Its a tele program, about the only thing worth watching...

[hermann]

Hand up ;)

[dkneil]

this is the babbage computer

http://odur.let.rug.nl/~koster/musicbox/Babbage.htm

[gothtec]

QI hardly ever miss it...

If you want to appriciate what the British empire missed then read the Sci-fi novel "The Difference Engine" by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling...

Imagine the computer age 100 years earlier!

[Blackjack]

QI hardly ever miss it...

If you want to appriciate what the British empire missed then read the Sci-fi novel "The Difference Engine" by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling...

Imagine the computer age 100 years earlier!

Or indeed "A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!" by Harry Harrison.

[deegee]

All very impressive but why not buy a pocket calculator for £1-99 :confused: :D :D :D

[Sludge Van Diesel]

whos been watching QI then :)
Me too :D :D