In the 19th century, British mathematician Charles Babbage invented the “difference engine,” a mechanical computer that had an enormously complex arrangement of levers, ratchets and gears. Had this ...

When you create logic circuits using ICs or FPGAs, you can’t easily visualize their operation without special tools. But if you’ve ever seen a mechanical computer (like the Computer History Museum’s ...

The world’s leading expert on mechanical computers wasn’t [Charles Babbage]; sure, he could design stuff, but eventually you need to actually build something. We are now graced with the expertise of ...