Babbage Engine comes alive in SIlicon Valley

Rather aptly located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the Computer History Museum will open its doors to the Charles Babbage Difference Engine Number 2 on May 10th. One of only two such working devices in existence, the first being housed within the Science Museum in London, the Babbage Engine holds a priveleged position as being the first truly automatic computing engine design in the world. Babbage (1791-1871) himself failed to build a complete working model of his design, through a lack of money and the sheer scope of the project, hardly surprising when we are talking about Victorian times here after all. It took 150 years after he drew up the designs for them to be constructed for the first time, with the first engine being completed in London during 2002.