Babbage's Difference Engine No 2 in action

How should museums display and interpret our computing history and culture? This is an extract from an OII talk given by Tilly Blyth, Curator of Computing and Information at the Science Museum.

The 'Difference Engine No 2' was designed from 1847-1849 by British computing pioneer Charles Babbage (1791-1871), an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer. The engine was built by the Science Museum and the main part was completed in June 1991 for the bicentennial year of Babbage's birth. Babbage conceived the engine to calculate a series of numerical values and automatically print the results. The Difference Engine No 2 was never constructed in his lifetime.

Complete webcast: http://webcast.oii.ox.ac.uk/?view=Webcast&ID=20080424_239

The talk unpacks some of the issues surrounding the creation of a new computing gallery at the Science Museum, presenting some of the approaches and possible forms of interpretation.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• babbage
• computer
• science
• difference
• engine
• museum
• technology

[SailorBarsoom]

Thanks for posting this. Ah, if only.