Name: The greatest machine that never was
Uploaded: 2012-07-21T13:56:36Z
Duration: 11 min 57 s
Description: Computer science began in the '30s ... the 1830s. John Graham-Cumming tells the story of Charles Babbage's mechanical, steam-powered "analytical engine" and how Ada Lovelace, mathematician and daughter of Lord Byron, saw beyond its simple computational abilities to imagine the future of computers.

Computer science began in the '30s ... the 1830s. John Graham-Cumming tells the story of Charles Babbage's mechanical, steam-powered "analytical engine" and how Ada Lovelace, mathematician and daughter of Lord Byron, saw beyond its simple computational abilities to imagine the future of computers.

John Graham-Cumming: The greatest machine that never was

The greatest machine that never was

Charles Babbage's 1830s design of the Analytical Engine laid the foundations for modern computing, yet remained unbuilt.

The Analytical Engine, with 1k memory and punch card programming, mirrors today's computers, albeit operating at a slower pace.

Envisioning beyond mere calculation, Ada Lovelace recognized a mechanical engine could simulate any process by manipulating symbols.