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From: Orchid XP v8
Subject: Babbage
Date: 2 Jul 2011 07:55:09
Message: <4e0f071d$1@news.povray.org>
Fact: Charles Babbage designed arguably the world's first ever 
Turing-complete machine. (75 years before Alan Turing was even born, I 
notice.)

Question: When did electricity become common knowledge?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*


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From: Jim Holsenback
Subject: Re: Babbage
Date: 2 Jul 2011 11:31:02
Message: <4e0f39b6@news.povray.org>
On 07/02/2011 08:55 AM, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> Fact: Charles Babbage designed arguably the world's first ever
> Turing-complete machine. (75 years before Alan Turing was even born, I
> notice.)
>
> Question: When did electricity become common knowledge?
>
I would say early to mid 1800's ... 1800 Volta (battery) or ... 1831 
Faraday (electric dynamo)


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From: nemesis
Subject: Re: Babbage
Date: 2 Jul 2011 16:25:00
Message: <web.4e0f7d8c262588d9a1bcfb90@news.povray.org>
Orchid XP v8 <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> Fact: Charles Babbage designed arguably the world's first ever
> Turing-complete machine. (75 years before Alan Turing was even born, I
> notice.)
>
> Question: When did electricity become common knowledge?

Btw, I'm sure you realize the two of them are unrelated to each other, right?
Babbage's machines were completely mechanical devices...


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From: Orchid XP v8
Subject: Re: Babbage
Date: 2 Jul 2011 17:28:17
Message: <4e0f8d71@news.povray.org>
On 02/07/2011 09:20 PM, nemesis wrote:
> Orchid XP v8<voi### [at] devnull>  wrote:
>> Fact: Charles Babbage designed arguably the world's first ever
>> Turing-complete machine. (75 years before Alan Turing was even born, I
>> notice.)
>>
>> Question: When did electricity become common knowledge?
>
> Btw, I'm sure you realize the two of them are unrelated to each other, right?
> Babbage's machines were completely mechanical devices...

...and you think I'm asking about this because...? :-P

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*


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From: andrel
Subject: Re: Babbage
Date: 2 Jul 2011 17:36:58
Message: <4E0F8F78.7050804@gmail.com>
On 2-7-2011 23:28, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> On 02/07/2011 09:20 PM, nemesis wrote:
>> Orchid XP v8<voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
>>> Fact: Charles Babbage designed arguably the world's first ever
>>> Turing-complete machine. (75 years before Alan Turing was even born, I
>>> notice.)
>>>
>>> Question: When did electricity become common knowledge?
>>
>> Btw, I'm sure you realize the two of them are unrelated to each other,
>> right?
>> Babbage's machines were completely mechanical devices...
>
> ...and you think I'm asking about this because...? :-P
>

Because it was too long since you last asked something that you could 
find the answer to in under five minutes?


-- 
Apparently you can afford your own dictator for less than 10 cents per 
citizen per day.


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From: Jim Holsenback
Subject: Re: Babbage
Date: 2 Jul 2011 17:53:26
Message: <4e0f9356$1@news.povray.org>
On 07/02/2011 06:36 PM, andrel wrote:
> On 2-7-2011 23:28, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>> On 02/07/2011 09:20 PM, nemesis wrote:
>>> Orchid XP v8<voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
>>>> Fact: Charles Babbage designed arguably the world's first ever
>>>> Turing-complete machine. (75 years before Alan Turing was even born, I
>>>> notice.)
>>>>
>>>> Question: When did electricity become common knowledge?
>>>
>>> Btw, I'm sure you realize the two of them are unrelated to each other,
>>> right?
>>> Babbage's machines were completely mechanical devices...
>>
>> ...and you think I'm asking about this because...? :-P
>>
>
> Because it was too long since you last asked something that you could
> find the answer to in under five minutes?
>
>
LOL ... yeah I knew the names but was a bit fuzzy on the dates. Not even 
two minutes ;-)


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From: Orchid XP v8
Subject: Re: Babbage
Date: 3 Jul 2011 05:39:50
Message: <4e1038e6@news.povray.org>
>> ...and you think I'm asking about this because...? :-P
>
> Because it was too long since you last asked something that you could
> find the answer to in under five minutes?

I spent half an hour on Wikipedia and couldn't really find the 
information I was looking for. I figured somebody here might know.

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*


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From: Orchid XP v8
Subject: Re: Babbage
Date: 3 Jul 2011 05:41:36
Message: <4e103950$1@news.povray.org>
>> Question: When did electricity become common knowledge?
>>
> I would say early to mid 1800's ... 1800 Volta (battery) or ... 1831
> Faraday (electric dynamo)

 From what I can gather from Wikipedia, Babbage's Analytical Engine was 
1837. It seems clear that at that data, some scientists at least were 
aware of the existence of electricity. But I can't find any word on when 
electricity came to be "useful", nor when it became "widely known".

And, obviously, no mention on whether Babbage himself knew it existed. ;-)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*


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From: andrel
Subject: Re: Babbage
Date: 3 Jul 2011 14:47:28
Message: <4E10B942.6080909@gmail.com>
On 3-7-2011 11:39, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>>> ...and you think I'm asking about this because...? :-P
>>
>> Because it was too long since you last asked something that you could
>> find the answer to in under five minutes?
>
> I spent half an hour on Wikipedia and couldn't really find the
> information I was looking for. I figured somebody here might know.

Ah, yes, p.o-t as a meta-search engine, one of the best there is.


-- 
Apparently you can afford your own dictator for less than 10 cents per 
citizen per day.


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From: andrel
Subject: Re: Babbage
Date: 3 Jul 2011 15:37:49
Message: <4E10C50F.4010708@gmail.com>
On 3-7-2011 11:41, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>>> Question: When did electricity become common knowledge?
>>>
>> I would say early to mid 1800's ... 1800 Volta (battery) or ... 1831
>> Faraday (electric dynamo)
>
>  From what I can gather from Wikipedia, Babbage's Analytical Engine was
> 1837. It seems clear that at that data, some scientists at least were
> aware of the existence of electricity. But I can't find any word on when
> electricity came to be "useful", nor when it became "widely known".
>
> And, obviously, no mention on whether Babbage himself knew it existed. ;-)

Electricity as such he knew about, even if only as static electricity. 
At that point in time small efficient electromotors were not available, 
nor was there a distribution grid 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Currents). It would not have been a 
viable choice, even less than the gears.

IMHO asking about a connection of the analytic machine and electricity 
is as sensible as asking why the first combustion engines did not use a 
computer to adjust the timing. Something very wrong with the order of 
historic events. But I assume you asked because you didn't know the 
order of events.


-- 
Apparently you can afford your own dictator for less than 10 cents per 
citizen per day.


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