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.
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