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The Greatest Machine That Never Was: John Graham-Cumming at TEDxImperialCollege

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Published on Apr 26, 2012

The computer was invented in the 30s: not the 1930s, but the 1830s. British mathematician Charles Babbage designed and prototyped a fully functional mechanical computer he called the Analytical Engine, but it was never completed. Now a team in Britain plans to build the machine for display at London's Science Museum before the 2030s come around.

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Top Comments

  • ecsciguy79

    I love how step 3 is to build a computer simulation of Babbage's computer.

    · 25

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  • ayoopdog

    incredible.

    · 9

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All Comments (26)

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  • BobTheMunificent

    Unfortunately not: those are Difference Engines, not Analytical Engines. A different (no pun intended) machine.

    ·

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    in reply to kilimir (Show the comment)
  • Jamesfisherization

    No, Brits invented the first computer secretly during ww2 to crack the nazi code. Shortly after the Americans announced they invented the first computer but the Brits couldn't say anything because it would give away their secret op.

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    in reply to beefeather (Show the comment)
  • voltagedrop

    The Atanasoff–Berry Computer was the one of the first digital electronic computing machines, but it was not a general purpose programmable computer. Atanasoff and Berry were born and did their work in the United States.

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    in reply to beefeather (Show the comment)
  • agustinbs

    no at all

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    in reply to beefeather (Show the comment)
  • beefeather

    Didnt a bulgarian inveted the first computer? John Vincent Atanasoff

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  • kilimir

    Two of these exist! One in England and one in the Silicon Valley at the Computer History Museum.

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  • jianpang88

    Cogs? This means that a wooden computer is SO POSSIBLE!

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  • teamjarock forthewin

    thank you for posting this video helped me with my home work XD

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  • blueJgrrl

    Babbage's mechanical computer is happening all over again, in Minecraft. Even fictional worlds allow for the invention of computers.

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  • WorBlux

    check out video yuMlhKI-pzE it's a cpu built inside minecraft.

    · 2

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    in reply to ecsciguy79 (Show the comment)
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