First Impression Review of Addometer Mechanical Calculator: Computing With No Electric?

 

Sometimes its good to take a break from the technological society and take a step back in time.  As George Santayana was famous for saying “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” …no wait a minute…no one I know is in danger of repeating the coolness I will demonstrate below…

Note: yes, in the video while multiplying I enter a wrong number and that is why the wrong answer: Junk in-Junk Out!

I need to admit that I have become a little fascinated with mechanical computing and it raises interesting questions in my mind. Computing without power has to be the ultimate in green! (no solar panel waste, just good old recyclable steal!) Is there a mechanical communicating machine? Actually yes, the 1200 year old Peruvian Communicator shown below: click here (due to no version 2.0 is lost out to PSTN)

Are there mechanical computers in nature? (would DNA count? is there other examples?)

Probably the most famous mechanical computer is the Babbage Difference Engine. A great video explaining it below:

These mechanical precursors to the computers of today are interesting in their own right. And …if things meltdown and you have to go off the grid you’ll wish you had one…no wait a minute, I guess a solar powered calculator would still work just fine… :-P