brewnog said:
franznietzsche said:
. Id rather use that than a four-function calculator, or perhaps even a slide rule, the temptation is too great.That is a really beautiful bit of construction. If you're interested in that sort of thing in general, I found an outstanding example in a Scientific American article last year. I can't remember what issue, but I found a website for them (they still make the things, and have since 1947). It's called a CURTA calculator. The thing's about the size of a pop can and has hundreds of parts. It also uses some weird thing about adding reciprocals or something like that in order to subtract. (I really only have about a grade 9 math level, so I don't understand it too well.)brewnog said:
Really...? Cool... I tried using my Liebnitz, but the ADSL line was incompatible with the grommet on the back.TheStatutoryApe said:
Danger said:
The Meccano Difference Engine is a mechanical computing machine designed to perform mathematical calculations. It was created in the 19th century by mathematician Charles Babbage and is considered a precursor to the modern computer.
The Meccano Difference Engine is composed of gears and levers that work together to perform calculations. Input numbers are entered by manually adjusting the gears, and the machine then uses the method of finite differences to calculate and display the result.
The Meccano Difference Engine was designed to automate complex calculations, making the process quicker and more accurate than doing them by hand. It was meant to be used by scientists, engineers, and mathematicians.
The Meccano Difference Engine was Babbage's first attempt at a mechanical computing machine, while the Analytical Engine was his second and more advanced design. The Analytical Engine was programmable and had the ability to store and manipulate data, making it more like a modern computer.
There are currently two Meccano Difference Engines in existence: one in the Science Museum in London and one in the Computer History Museum in California. A third was built in the 1980s by the London Science Museum and remains on display there.