Geeks unite! (and separate)

For our last tourist day in London, we went geeky. The Science Museum holds such wonders as several Babbage Difference Engines, the Apollo 10 Lander, and The Listening Post, a piece of artwork that takes data from chat rooms and presents it (in real time) either written or spoken.

Charles Babbage never made the Difference Engine himself, but the museum has made a few based on his designs, and they really do work. Of course, they aren't perfect. This is a great quote from him:

On two occasions I have been asked, – "Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?" In one case a member of the Upper, and in the other a member of the Lower, House put this question. I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.

Yes, mathematicians have been pretentious forever. I am just following a long, overly proud tradition.

When we arrived at the floor containing both the Math and Computing areas, we of course separated. To each his own, I suppose. I took many pictures of the slide rules, klein bottles, and regular polyhedra, while Colin drooled over the Cray 1A and the PDP-8 (I have no idea what those are, ask him).

We eventually tore ourselves away from the wonders of the Science Museum and walked around Hyde Park. Speakers Corner was not quite what I expected, being just an open, cemented area, but the park itself is lovely. Pictures will follow for Grandma Smith.

The day ended with a moment of silence for Colin's floofy hair: he got a haircut in the morning. I love his floofy hair, but every once in a while, it must be shorn.