Babbage’s Difference Engine and davy lamp: what they have in common

  1. Step 1. Babbage’s Difference Engine — evolved into — Babbage’s Analytical Engine. Babbage moved on to a general-purpose machine while working on the difference engine.
  2. Step 2. Babbage’s Analytical Engine — was inspired by — Jacquard loom. Babbage borrowed Jacquard’s punched cards directly for entering operations and data; Ada Lovelace compared the machine to the Jacquard loom.
  3. Step 3. Jacquard loom — is a kind of — Loom. A loom with punched cards.
  4. Step 4. Loom — uses — Plant fibre. Cloth is woven from threads spun from fibres.
  5. Step 5. Plant fibre — is material for — Wick. A wick is twisted from plant fibres.
  6. Step 6. Wick — is part of — Davy lamp. A wick.

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