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Science

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

4. There's a whole genre of "steampunk" SF novels aboout Babbage's computer, and alternative histories

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Oct 24, 2012, 03:09 PM

Oct 2012

of what might have been if automated data processing had gotten started 100 years earlier.

A world of computers the size of skyscrapers and nanosteam engines. No gasoline or Middle East-centric foreign conflicts. Interesting stuff.

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Could This Have Been The World's First Computer? [View all] n2doc Oct 2012 OP

Huh. I'll be. Nt xchrom Oct 2012 #1

The Antikythera mechanism littlemissmartypants Oct 2012 #2

It's an interesting coincidence that folks are right now rediving that area looking for more. dimbear Oct 2012 #18

Without belittling Babbage's ideas, my vote for oldest computer goes here: Jackpine Radical Oct 2012 #3

Lego bongbong Oct 2012 #5

I bet there's a vid online somewhere. Jackpine Radical Oct 2012 #7

Must have me on ignore littlemissmartypants Oct 2012 #14

No, just not smart enough to look at earlier posts. Jackpine Radical Oct 2012 #15

There's a whole genre of "steampunk" SF novels aboout Babbage's computer, and alternative histories leveymg Oct 2012 #4

William Gibson, iirc. Jackpine Radical Oct 2012 #8

"The future is already here � it's just not evenly distributed." - wg eom leveymg Oct 2012 #11

Ah, you read "The Difference Engine" as well... friendly_iconoclast Oct 2012 #13

Many have... DetlefK Oct 2012 #16

I remember a mechanical calculator about half the size Warpy Oct 2012 #6

Sort of. Jackpine Radical Oct 2012 #9

Babbage's analytical engine was programmable, which also made it more than the Antikythera mechanism muriel_volestrangler Oct 2012 #10

An Emulator... love it. hunter Oct 2012 #12

When I took my introduction to Computers back in 1985.... WCGreen Oct 2012 #17