electro-music.com   Dedicated to experimental electro-acoustic
and electronic music
 
    Front Page  |  Radio
 |  Media  |  Forum  |  Wiki  |  Links
Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
 FAQFAQ   CalendarCalendar   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   LinksLinks
 RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in  Chat RoomChat Room 
go to the radio page Live at electro-music.com radio 1 Please visit the chat
poster
 Forum index » Discussion » Schmooze » Miscellaneous Photo Gallery
Babbages Difference Engine #2
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Page 1 of 1 [14 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
Author Message
cappy2112



Joined: Dec 24, 2004
Posts: 2465
Location: San Jose, California
Audio files: 2
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 11:18 pm    Post subject: Babbages Difference Engine #2 Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

After an interesting presentation on Babbages Difference Engine at the Computer History Museum, I took some pictures of Engine #2.
There are only 2 of these known in existence. This one was recently completed and took many years to finish.



I was hoping to find a link to the audio from the presentation I saw on the Difference Engine, but you'' have to settle for this video ;(

GEAR PORN ALERT
Here's a link to a small video of it actually moving.
http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/
Jeez- look at those cams moving in sequence. Just amazing!


P5010181.JPG
 Description:
 Filesize:  704.81 KB
 Viewed:  481 Time(s)
This image has been reduced to fit the page. Click on it to enlarge.

P5010181.JPG



P5010182.JPG
 Description:
The number wheels
 Filesize:  702.4 KB
 Viewed:  469 Time(s)
This image has been reduced to fit the page. Click on it to enlarge.

P5010182.JPG



P5010184.JPG
 Description:
This is the part of printer mechanism
 Filesize:  706.77 KB
 Viewed:  465 Time(s)
This image has been reduced to fit the page. Click on it to enlarge.

P5010184.JPG



P5010170.JPG
 Description:
 Filesize:  708.77 KB
 Viewed:  451 Time(s)
This image has been reduced to fit the page. Click on it to enlarge.

P5010170.JPG



_________________
Free Tibet. Release the Panchen Lama from prison. Let the Dalai Lama return to his home.

Last edited by cappy2112 on Tue May 13, 2008 12:42 pm; edited 4 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
blue hell
Site Admin


Joined: Apr 03, 2004
Posts: 24075
Location: The Netherlands, Enschede
Audio files: 277
G2 patch files: 320

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 4:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Wow, beautiful computer ... I thought none of these were ever built, apparently wrong Very Happy
_________________
Jan
also .. could someone please turn down the thermostat a bit.
Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Uncle Krunkus
Moderator


Joined: Jul 11, 2005
Posts: 4761
Location: Sydney, Australia
Audio files: 52
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 4:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

My God!
That takes my breath away.
Absolute beauty, delicate and exacting.
These are the reasons I would one day travel the world.

_________________
What makes a space ours, is what we put there, and what we do there.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
cappy2112



Joined: Dec 24, 2004
Posts: 2465
Location: San Jose, California
Audio files: 2
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 7:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Blue Hell wrote:
Wow, beautiful computer ... I thought none of these were ever built, apparently wrong Very Happy


These pictures really don't do it justice.
The difference engine is capable of working with 7th order polynomials!
It's intriguing that anyone would conceive that capability at the time it was designed.

_________________
Free Tibet. Release the Panchen Lama from prison. Let the Dalai Lama return to his home.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cappy2112



Joined: Dec 24, 2004
Posts: 2465
Location: San Jose, California
Audio files: 2
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 7:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Uncle Krunkus wrote:
These are the reasons I would one day travel the world.


I've already been to Oz- so it's your turn now Wink

_________________
Free Tibet. Release the Panchen Lama from prison. Let the Dalai Lama return to his home.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DrJustice



Joined: Sep 13, 2004
Posts: 2114
Location: Morokulien
Audio files: 4

PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2008 6:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

A stunning piece of engineering! And the next must-have device for steam punks Very Happy

Do they do demonstration runs of the machine, or is it only a static exhibit?

DJ
--
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
mosc
Site Admin


Joined: Jan 31, 2003
Posts: 18195
Location: Durham, NC
Audio files: 211
G2 patch files: 60

PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2008 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Wikipedia wrote:
* Babbages's distaste for commoners ("the Mob") included writing "Observations of Street Nuisances" in 1864, as well as tallying up 165 "nuisances" over a period of 80 days; he especially hated street music, and in particular the music of organ grinders, against whom he railed in various venues. The following quotation is typical:

It is difficult to estimate the misery inflicted upon thousands of persons, and the absolute pecuniary penalty imposed upon multitudes of intellectual workers by the loss of their time, destroyed by organ-grinders and other similar nuisances.


Very Happy

_________________
--Howard
my music and other stuff
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address
Stanley Pain



Joined: Sep 02, 2004
Posts: 782
Location: Reading, UK
Audio files: 10
G2 patch files: 35

PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2008 8:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

one of my favourite novels is "The Difference Engine" by William Gibson (and someone else) and it imagines a world where steam and not electricity had driven the information age's genesis. it's very interesting and a must for all you steam punk fans.
_________________
there's no I in TEAM, so let's all act as individuals instead
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cappy2112



Joined: Dec 24, 2004
Posts: 2465
Location: San Jose, California
Audio files: 2
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2008 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

DrJustice wrote:
A stunning piece of engineering! And the next must-have device for steam punks Very Happy

Do they do demonstration runs of the machine, or is it only a static exhibit?

DJ
--


I think they have limited demonstrations, but I haven't seen any myself.

There are very strong forces in action when it is running, as a result it can easily break. With 8000+ parts you can imagine what troubleshooting a problem would be like. Fortunately Babbage, designed in "mechanical fuses" to help force failures to a known location.

Whatever happened to inventors of this caliber (Marconi, Tesla, etc)???

They just don't seem to "make them liked they used to" ;(

_________________
Free Tibet. Release the Panchen Lama from prison. Let the Dalai Lama return to his home.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
v-un-v
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: May 16, 2005
Posts: 8933
Location: Birmingham, England, UK
Audio files: 11
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2008 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

What an absolutely beautiful thing!

Thanks very much for posting these pix Very Happy

_________________
ACHTUNG!
ALLES TURISTEN UND NONTEKNISCHEN LOOKENPEEPERS!
DAS KOMPUTERMASCHINE IST NICHT FÜR DER GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABEN! ODERWISE IST EASY TO SCHNAPPEN DER SPRINGENWERK, BLOWENFUSEN UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKSEN.
IST NICHT FÜR GEWERKEN BEI DUMMKOPFEN. DER RUBBERNECKEN SIGHTSEEREN KEEPEN DAS COTTONPICKEN HÄNDER IN DAS POCKETS MUSS.
ZO RELAXEN UND WATSCHEN DER BLINKENLICHTEN.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
v-un-v
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: May 16, 2005
Posts: 8933
Location: Birmingham, England, UK
Audio files: 11
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2008 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Wasn't it true that Alan Turing's computer built to crack the Nazi Enigma machine was an electronic version of difference engine no. 2?
_________________
ACHTUNG!
ALLES TURISTEN UND NONTEKNISCHEN LOOKENPEEPERS!
DAS KOMPUTERMASCHINE IST NICHT FÜR DER GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABEN! ODERWISE IST EASY TO SCHNAPPEN DER SPRINGENWERK, BLOWENFUSEN UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKSEN.
IST NICHT FÜR GEWERKEN BEI DUMMKOPFEN. DER RUBBERNECKEN SIGHTSEEREN KEEPEN DAS COTTONPICKEN HÄNDER IN DAS POCKETS MUSS.
ZO RELAXEN UND WATSCHEN DER BLINKENLICHTEN.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
EdisonRex
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 4579
Location: London, UK
Audio files: 172

PostPosted: Fri May 16, 2008 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Engine No 2 was commissioned by Nathan Myhrvold (of Microsoft fame). The "original" reproduction sits in the London Museum of Science, along with half of Babbage's pickled brain in a jar. Babbage did not have the machining technology or the money to complete one on his own, he was a rather cantankerous old coot who, although he had his followers, had many more enemies than friends. His biography is a good read.

I recently saw some pictures and a story about Engine No 2, and how it's being lent to the museum in California for exhibit.

There have been numerous other realizations using various mechanical toy parts.

_________________
Garret: It's so retro.
EGM: What does retro mean to you?
Parker: Like, old and outdated.


Home,My Studio,and another view
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
cappy2112



Joined: Dec 24, 2004
Posts: 2465
Location: San Jose, California
Audio files: 2
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

EdisonRex wrote:
Museum of Science[/url], along with half of Babbage's pickled brain in a jar.


Flashbacks to Young Frankenstein (abby-normal) ...


Quote:

I recently saw some pictures and a story about Engine No 2, and how it's being lent to the museum in California for exhibit.


The post and the pictures (and later, a link to a video showing the thing running) which started this thread are from the Computer History Museum, where #2 is on display.

_________________
Free Tibet. Release the Panchen Lama from prison. Let the Dalai Lama return to his home.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cleatus



Joined: Jul 10, 2009
Posts: 22
Location: WI

PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 5:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

cappy2112 wrote:
DrJustice wrote:
A stunning piece of engineering! And the next must-have device for steam punks Very Happy

Do they do demonstration runs of the machine, or is it only a static exhibit?

DJ
--


I think they have limited demonstrations, but I haven't seen any myself.

There are very strong forces in action when it is running, as a result it can easily break. With 8000+ parts you can imagine what troubleshooting a problem would be like. Fortunately Babbage, designed in "mechanical fuses" to help force failures to a known location.

Whatever happened to inventors of this caliber (Marconi, Tesla, etc)???

They just don't seem to "make them liked they used to" ;(


thats cause they are spending their time texting, emailing, twittering, facebooking, WoW-ing...etc..
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Page 1 of 1 [14 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
 Forum index » Discussion » Schmooze » Miscellaneous Photo Gallery
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Copyright © 2003 through 2009 by electro-music.com - Conditions Of Use