Lecture 1
MOVIE: The Machine That Changed the World: Giant Brains / Inventing the Future
Chapter 1: The Engraving that wasn't
After reading this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- What does the title refer to?
- How is the engraving related to Charles Babbage?
Chapter 2: A better mousetrap
After reading this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- What is the significance of the drawloom?
- What was the contribution of de Vaucanson?
- What was the major challenge of de Vaucanson enhancement?
Chapter 3: The son of a master-weaver
After reading this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- Discuss the environment that Jacquard grew up in and the influence this had on his invention?
Chapter 4: The Emperor's new clothes
After reading this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- Describe the machine developed by Jacquard.
- Describe how integrated the use of punched cards in his new loom.
- Who originated the idea of using punched cards in weaving?
Chapter 5: From weaving to computing
After reading this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- Describe Babbage's youth and its influence on his later life.
- Why was Babbage interested in developing a machine to do computations?
- What is the link between Jacquard and Baggage?
- Describe the Difference Engine.
- Describe the Analytical Engine.
Movie Discussion Questions
- What number systems were used in computers and why?
- Who was the leading developer of computers in the 1930s?
- What motivated the early development of computers in the 1840s, 1930-40s, 1950s?
- Compare the difference between relays and vacuum tubes as used in computers.
- Who started the first computer company? What happened to the company?
- What was the first British computer company? What happened to the company?
- Describe the evolution of computer companies.
- What hindered the expansion of the computer industry?
- What was the first "computer": Difference Engine, Analytical Engine, ENIAC, Mark I, Colussus, Zuse's machine