Clay core and Babbage’s Analytical Engine: what they have in common

1. Step 1. Clay core — is part of — Levee. A clay layer that keeps water out.
2. Step 2. Levee — is made of — Clay. Levees were built up of earth and clay.
3. Step 3. Clay — is material for — Movable type. Bi Sheng’s type was made of fired clay.
4. Step 4. Movable type — is part of — Gutenberg printing press. Text is set from metal type.
5. Step 5. Gutenberg printing press — works like — Jacquard loom. An analogy, not proven influence: both set type and a chain of punched cards are a replaceable pattern that a machine reproduces over and over.
6. Step 6. Jacquard loom — inspired — Babbage’s Analytical Engine. Babbage borrowed Jacquard’s punched cards directly for entering operations and data; Ada Lovelace compared the machine to the Jacquard loom.

Open Evothings