Calculations Quote by Charles Babbage
“Mr. Herschel brought with him the calculations of the computers, and we commenced the tedious process of verification. After a time many discrepancies occurred, and at one point these discordances were so numerous that I exclaimed, "I wish to God these calculations had been executed by steam," to which Herschel replied, "It is quite possible."”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Private correspondence, 1840s
Early computing faced massive manual verification errors, prompting frustration and speculation about alternative technologies.
In simple terms: Early computers were error‑prone and hard to check.
Key Takeaway
Expect and plan for verification challenges.
Themes
technology
verification
frustration
innovation
history
Mood
frustrated
hopeful
Type
historical
technical
When to use this quote
- historical research
- software testing
- project management
- engineering design
Key Concepts
computing
error detection
human‑machine interaction
Questions to Reflect On
- How can modern verification reduce human error?
- What lessons do early failures teach today?
A Different Perspective
Even with steam, verification would remain complex.
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