A numerical table is a tool designed to save the time and labor of those engaged in computing work. The oldest tables which are preserved, were compiled in Babylon in the period 1800-1500 B.C. They ...

As you might expect from its name, the "Difference Engine" is a strangely difficult object to describe. You might start by imagining the side of a large crib with uprights ringed by small metal wheels ...

The second 8,000 piece Difference Engine No.2 is off to California from the Science Museum. It is 3.3m long, 2m high, weighs five tonnes and can calculate polynomials to 31 decimal places. The second ...

Created by Charles Babbage, the Analytical Engine was a general-purpose, completely program-controlled, mechanical digital computer with no human intervention. It was designed to be programmed using ...

A project to construct one of the earliest mechanical computers based on sketches by its designer, Charles Babbage, has received a major boost. The Science Museum in London has agreed to help by ...

A steam-powered computer designed by the 19th century mathematician Charles Babbage could finally be built after a campaign was launched to bring his dream to life. A section of Charles Babbage's ...

A UK campaign to build a truck-sized, prototype computer first envisaged in 1837 is gathering steam. More than 1,600 people have pledged money and support to build Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine.