What noise!

On 25 July 1864, London's most celebrates curmudgeon unpursed his lips for a few seconds and allowed himself a little smile. Parliament had finally given Charles Babbage what he wanted. It was more than 40 years since Babbage had begun to work on a vast mechanical calculator, and still it existed only on paper and in a few experimental parts. His "analytical engine", the precursor of the programmable computer, was even further from completion. Had the government finallyRead More...