The Greatest Machine Never Built

mikejuk writes "John Graham-Cumming is the leading light behind a project to actually build the analytical engine dreamed of by Charles Babbage. There is a tendency to think that everything that Babbage thought up was little more than a calculating machine, but as the video makes 100% clear the analytical engine was a real computer that could run programs. From the article: 'Of course Ada Lovelace was the first programmer, but more importantly her work with Babbage took the analytical engine from the realms of mathematical table construction into the wider world of non-mathematical programming. Her notes indicate that had the machine been built there is no question that it would have been exploited just as we use silicon-based machines today. To see the machine built and running programs would be the final proof that Babbage really did invent the general purpose computer in the age of the steam engine.'"

Comments

Interesting

[heptapod]

But now we can build computers within computer programs with redstone. Babbage never had redstone.

Re:Move on now.

[houghi]

That is because Samuel William Jefferson, who invented the computer and build one, also invented the time machine in 1827.
In 2079 his great-great-great-great-grandson, Hydro Jefferson, had an argument with his girlfriend about a cupcake (or a dancer called C-Cups. The books are unsure about that.)
She then went back in time and killed S.W. Jefferson as a little baby.

Well there's yer problem.

[caffeinated_bunsen]

John Graham-Cumming is the leading light behind a project...

Leading lights generally work better in front of things. I think your metaphorator might be a bit misaligned...

Yep. Looks like you've got some sinusoidal co-pleneration between the literal input shafts. Gonna have to replace your main spurving bearing, maybe the secondary too. A couple of the marzel vanes on your imagery agitator are looking a pretty worn, might want to get those replaced while you're at it.

Re:Great idea, probably not happening

[gmhowell]

"1000 memory wheels ought to be enough for anyone"