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Campaign to build Babbage’s computer gathers steam

by Sarah Griffiths on 18 October 2010, 12:24

Tags: General Business

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The big plan

Graham-Cumming's plan of attack is to reportedly recreate design ‘Plan 28' if he raises enough money and will also digitalise Babbage's plans, currently locked safely away in London's Science Museum.

"We would then need to build a 3D simulation of the engine [on a computer]. We can then debug it and it would make it available to everyone around the world," he told Auntie.

Swade reportedly believes a virtual mock-up of the Analytical Engine could solve '95 percent of problems' and a modern computer would make it easier to design the parts needed to build the machine- something Babbage is likely to have approved of.

"Building a virtual engine is the only route of certainty to see the engine built in our lifetimes," he reportedly added.

Graham-Cumming told the BBC he had doubts that enough people would be interested to recreate the historical computer but after successfully managing to secure a posthumous apology from the government  for WW2 code breaker, Alan Turning for his treatment by the authorities for being gay, Graham-Cumming reportedly said it gave him the confidence to launch a new computer-based crusade.

Here's a small portion of the Analytical Engine - image courtesy of the Science Museum Library.

 



HEXUS Forums :: 3 Comments

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I wish more articles would link to the pledge page at PledgeBank :)
Pledged!

If anyone wants a great read of what a great read of what england may have been like if Babbage had succeeded have a look at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Difference-Engine-Gollancz-S-F/dp/0575600292
It just looks like a Thermalright heatsink :P.