The Start of It All ...

So like other developments that are a little weird and waay too far ahead of the curve, the Difference Engine was one of the first attempts to build a mechanical calculator. Charles Babbage developed this in the 1850s and the major pieces of his work are on display in the British Science Museum.



My wife and I had the privilege to see those pieces and this modern construction of Babbage's Difference engine last year. They said at the time that it was for 'an American museum' and it was a modest surprise to learn where it'll be on display: The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. The reason I mention all of this is - I used another picture I took of this piece as the logo of StartupGeek that you can see above (slightly modified, that is).

The Difference Engine and other pieces of technology reflect the spirit of geeks everywhere and I heartily recommend seeing this up close and in person.