On this day in 1822, Charles Babbage proposed the use of a difference engine in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society, some 186 years later and a replica of one of Babbage’s machines can be found in the Virtual World mod Second Life:
Second Life Difference Engine created by Independent State of Caledon resident Paul Churchill
Update 2024: Although ‘The Independent State of Caledon’ is still active and very much alive inside Second Life the Caledon Highlands sim is no more and I was unable to track down the difference engine in world.
Second Life Difference Engine created by Independent State of Caledon resident Paul Churchill
Update 2024: Although ‘The Independent State of Caledon’ is still active and very much alive inside Second Life the Caledon Highlands sim is no more and I was unable to track down the difference engine in world.
Note how this satirical version is so much like the original which I scanned…
Many thanks though to Mrs Trellis, of North Wales, who pointed out this obvious blunder … the date (1974) is 3 years after decimalisation, so the price tag of 2/6 is fake – shame.
“For those of you not up to speed on space toilets, the ASU failed on 21 May following a “loud noise” – apparently the failure of the air/water separator pump. Despite the ISS crew’s best attempts at DIY, they were obliged to request an emergency plumbing space-lift to tackle the problem.”