BBC DOCUMENTARY : Calculating Ada

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BBC DOCUMENTARY : Calculating Ada

Postby Harry Dalek » Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:39 pm

I don't know if any one here has seen this documentary on the mechanical computer ,really impressive what they did and or planned to do .
I kept thinking if they made the thing imagine having to find a bad gear that's sticking ...
Ada was an amazing lady . :wink: :idea:

youtu.be/QgUVrzkQgds
The electromagnetic spectrum has no theoretical limit at either end. If all the mass/energy in the Universe is considered a 'limit', then that would be the only real theoretical limit to the maximum frequency attainable.
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Re: BBC DOCUMENTARY : Calculating Ada

Postby Dave Moll » Mon Mar 12, 2018 7:21 pm

Yes, I watched when it was rebroadcast recently. I think it had been shown before (even though I don't believe it was billed as a repeat), because much of it felt familiar as I watched. It seems the trouble with Babbage though was moving on to improvements without seeing his current (government funded) version through to completion. He was, however, working at the cutting edge of 19th century engineering technology.
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Re: BBC DOCUMENTARY : Calculating Ada

Postby Harry Dalek » Mon Mar 12, 2018 10:47 pm

Dave Moll wrote:Yes, I watched when it was rebroadcast recently. I think it had been shown before (even though I don't believe it was billed as a repeat), because much of it felt familiar as I watched. It seems the trouble with Babbage though was moving on to improvements without seeing his current (government funded) version through to completion. He was, however, working at the cutting edge of 19th century engineering technology.


Yes he should of listened to Ada pride was he's and so he's devices down fall ...if it went ahead it would of been a great thing .
But i can only imagine a very very slow result from this type of computer ,,,the uk pretty much had the cutting edge in technology here ,pretty much repeated in the 40's with your countries Zuse electo mechanical computer Colossus electronic computer .
The electromagnetic spectrum has no theoretical limit at either end. If all the mass/energy in the Universe is considered a 'limit', then that would be the only real theoretical limit to the maximum frequency attainable.
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