Sunday | 23 November, 2008

Features

Babbage's Difference Engine up close
Babbage's Difference Engine goes on display in the US
Network World staff (Network World) 21/04/2008 11:20:21
Microsoft's Nathan Myhrvold commissioned and funded the construction of a mechanical calculator based on plans drawn up by British mathematician Charles Babbage in the 1840s. It will be on display beginning May 10 at the Computer History Museum in the US. The Difference Engine weighs about five tons Babbage finalized his design in the 1840s, but the Difference Engine wasn't built until Swade constructed one in the late 1980s for the London Science Museum The Difference Engine uses mechanical gears to calculate polynomial equations The bronze, cast iron and steel structure looks like a giant industrial version of a street organ, if street organs were 11-feet long, 7-feet high and had 8,000 parts. Babbage's device is based on the idea that one can create a 'shortcut' for determining a series of successive mathematical values by using Sir Isaac Newton's 'method of differences.' The five-ton device actually consists of a three-ton calculator and a printer that weights in at two tons. And it doesn't even collate!
  • 3 of 7
Babbage finalized his design in the 1840s, but the Difference Engine wasn't built until Swade constructed one in the late 1980s for the London Science Museum
Babbage finalized his design in the 1840s, but the Difference Engine wasn't built until Swade constructed one in the late 1980s for the London Science Museum
Market Place
Reduce costs, secure data, ensure compliance with Identity Management
Learn how to prioritize services with IT Service Management (ITSM). Watch the Computerworld webinar now!
Taking on Demand CRM Integration to the next level.
Beat the credit crunch. 0% for 24 months. Just for small business. Offer ends 24th Dec!
Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Enterprise Planning.
HP webcast: Learn how to get the best value out of your network
Discover best practice strategies for the archival and removal of .PST files using email archiving
CRM Webcast: Learn how to find a CRM solution that fits into your existing business environment. View now.

 

Smart SOA World Tour

Discover how SOA can create smarter outcomes for your business.

Attend and learn:

  • How SOA is helping leading companies to become more agile
  • Where you should be applying SOA processes in your company
  • The top SOA implementation mistakes to avoid

Click here for more information.
Get a job Careerone
Whitepaper


Read Whitepaper

Understanding Email Marketing: A Guide for SMBs

Email marketing is often viewed as a marketers silver bullet. If used effectively, email campaigns will provide strong results for a limited spend each and every time. Download this white paper to discover how email marketing can work for you and your business.

Enterprise IT Buyer's Guide
Find Technology Vendors Fast
 
Find vendors by name | Find by category
Sponsored Links