Smoky Cogs

Way, way back in the prehistory of computing, Charles Babbage built the first machines that could be called a computer.

The first calculating machine he came up with was the Difference Engine in 1822, which has since been reconstructed several years ago. This was basically just a giant, complicated calculator.

While Babbage was building the Difference Engine, he came up with the concept of the Analytical Engine, which he worked on from 1837 until his death in 1871, although never actually finished it.

This machine was technically the world’s first computer, and was powered by steam.

Now, there is a group trying to recreate the Analytical Engine, known as Plan 28. It is an extremely ambitious project, and they will be needing a huge amount of funding to manage it.

I am very interested to see how this project progresses.

As they always say, there are always three sides to every story, there is the one side, the other side, and then you have the truth. History is far from an exact science, with history often being written by the victor, and even if not, most historians have some bias. That is , I suppose, what makes a modern historian’s job fun.

Well, this little book was a very entertaining read for me. It certainly won’t live up to intense academic scrutiny, and most of the facts in it are not going to change the world in any way, but what I liked most about this book is it makes you think and question. Did history really happen the way the history book portray, or is the story a little deeper than that. In that, this book excels.

I have heard people complain that the book is too fragmented, consisting mainly of a bunch of facts lumped together, but I think that that allows the book to be enjoyed in small bits, grabbing a chance to read a page or two every now and again.