False Dawn: The Babbage Engine

CHM Exhibition "Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing"

Charles Babbage (1791-1871), computer pioneer, designed the first automatic computing engines. He invented computers but failed to build them. The first complete Babbage Engine was completed in London in 2002, 153 years after it was designed. Difference Engine No. 2, built faithfully to the original drawings, consists of 8,000 parts, weighs five tons, and measures 11 feet long.

Catalog Number: 102695004
Lot Number: X6142.2011

[sackchief]

Imagine the things this man would be able to do if he had access to modern technologies. Truly a genius of his time.

[FormadvpartBillionaireGuillen]

My life of godson of man and my theory s of reality let's us life live perfect.

[agrimpuriya]

The complexity of this machine is beautiful.

[SparrowNoblePoland]

I love it how the machine accidentally produces the image of double helix when working.

[bayarearealestatebymegan]

In order to appreciate today's technology it is imperative to appreciate and understand the genius that paved the road of today's inventions.

[Robert-xpii]

That machine fascinates me! It's a shame he never got to see it. Beautiful!

[aprisonerscinemastephenmur]

Something in my soul just lit up when I seen this thing functioning

[justinnamuco]

The drawings and the entire plan was a program by itself, and it seems Babbage never got to "compile" it. It seems he had it all working perfectly in his head.

[HikaruKatayamma]

Even today, that is one impressive piece of technology!

[pratishthabajracharya]

He was probably smart enough to know that his discovery is mind-blowing but far behind the time that people would understand

[collisw]

One of the greatest minds to have ever lived.

[franciscovarela]

The novel "the Difference Engine" by Gibson/Sterling imagines an alternate history in which Babbage realises his Analytical Engine which in turn enables an entirely different future. Published in 1990 I recall eagerly awaiting the release of this book, was not disappointed.

[shutdahellup]

No lie this is far more impressive than an i9 processor

[blakelowrey]

Man he sure knew a lot of guys named Charles

[Mechaghostman]

But can it run Crysis?

lol I think that if this machine was adopted, and people continued to improve on mechanical computers, it could've reached 1950's levels of computing before the old tube computers were ever invented.

I see no reason to think that it couldn't be used to play some simple games. Not video games, but some kind of geared computer controlled game, anyways.

[vazk-thret]

if only the government helped him with his work, we would probably be much farther technologically.

[ofidaniel]

his name can not be forgotten in the world book of history

[kizuro]

If only the government accept those ideas, we would have some real Steampunk stuff on our life right now

[wntu]

I wish there was a video following it working an actual problem.

[rickk]

The mechanism reminds me a lot of the Curta hand-held mechanical calculator (aka: The Peppermill). They were used a lot by sports car rallyists.