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1834- Edinburgh Review 59 incl BABBAGE'S CALCULATING ENGINEDescription
The 1834 Edinburgh Review, Volume 59, includes an extensive contemporary account of Charles Babbage’s Calculating Engine. This review is significant as it provides a detailed description of Babbage’s invention, which is considered one of the earliest forms of a mechanical computer.
The Calculating Engine, also known as the Difference Engine, was designed to automate the process of calculating and printing mathematical tables. Babbage’s work was groundbreaking because it introduced the concept of using machinery for computation, which was a novel idea at the time.
The Edinburgh Review article discusses Babbage’s background, his selection of science as a field of ambition, and his mathematical research that earned him a high reputation. It also mentions his election to the Lucanian Professorship at his university, a position previously held by the renowned Sir Isaac Newton. Moreover, the review highlights the social and economic implications of Babbage’s invention and its potential to revolutionize the production of accurate mathematical tables, which were essential for navigation, engineering, and other scientific endeavors.