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Oxford Portraits in Science
Charles Babbage: And the Engines of Perfection
Charles Babbage, "the grandfather of the modern computer," did not live to see even one of his calculating machines at work. A dazzling genius with vision extending far beyond the limitations of the Victorian age, Babbage successfully calculated a table of logarithms during his years at
Cambridge University, allowing mathematical calculations to be executed with extreme precision. Only the possibility of human error prevented complete accuracy, and Babbage understood that the only way to attain perfection is to leave the human mind entirely out of the equation. He devoted most of
his life and spent most of his private fortune and government stipend trying to improve his difference engines and analytical engines.
Bruce Collier and James MacLachlan chronicle Babbage's education and scientific career, his remarkably active social life and long string of personal tragedies, his forays into philosophy and economics, his successes and failures, and the biggest disappointment of his life-- his ingenious
inventions were centuries ahead of the primitive capabilities of Victorian technology.
Cambridge University, allowing mathematical calculations to be executed with extreme precision. Only the possibility of human error prevented complete accuracy, and Babbage understood that the only way to attain perfection is to leave the human mind entirely out of the equation. He devoted most of
his life and spent most of his private fortune and government stipend trying to improve his difference engines and analytical engines.
Bruce Collier and James MacLachlan chronicle Babbage's education and scientific career, his remarkably active social life and long string of personal tragedies, his forays into philosophy and economics, his successes and failures, and the biggest disappointment of his life-- his ingenious
inventions were centuries ahead of the primitive capabilities of Victorian technology.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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About the author
Bruce Collier
10 books2 followersBruce Collier is a retired professor of Harvard University.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 8, 2012
2.5 stars.
This book is too short to provide any in-depth understanding of Babbage, his life or his mechanical inventions that presaged modern computers. It was not a particularly engaging read, either. Probably only worthwhile if you're interested in the history of science.
This book is too short to provide any in-depth understanding of Babbage, his life or his mechanical inventions that presaged modern computers. It was not a particularly engaging read, either. Probably only worthwhile if you're interested in the history of science.
Displaying 1 of 1 review