The Difference Engine: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer

The Difference Engine: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer



In 1821, Charles Babbage was reviewing a set of mathematical tables with a colleague in preparation for a scientific presentation when, after finding a wealth of errors, he exclaimed in frustration, "I wish to God these calculations had been executed by steam!" With this outburst, Babbage began to envision an end to human errors in the numerical tables upon which finance, trade, science, and navigation relied. The Difference Engine is the fascinating story of his heroic quest, against all odds, to build the first computing machine more than one hundred years before the modern computer we use today was invented. Set against the politics and science of the explosive early Victorian era, The Difference Engine is a thrilling tale of Babbage's exuberant determination. Like Longitude, The Difference Engine is a fascinating portrait of the human story behind a pivotal moment in history and one of the most influential inventions of our time.

DNA Computing Models (Advances in Information Security)

DNA Computing Models (Advances in Information Security)

Sir Francis Crick would undoubtedly be at the front of the line ordering this fascinating book. Being one of the discoverers of DNA, he would be amazed at how his work has been applied to mankind's most important invention, the computer. DNA contains the genetic instructions for the biological development of cellular life forms or viruses. DNA computing uses DNA as a substrate for storing information, while molecular biological operations are used to manipulate this information.

DNA Computing Models begins with a comprehensive introduction to the field of DNA computing. This book emphasizes computational methods to tackle central problems of DNA computing, such as controlling living cells, building patterns, and generating nanomachines. DNA Computing Models presents laboratory-scale human-operated models of computation, including a description of the first experiment of DNA computation conducted by Adleman in 1994. It provides molecular-scale autonomous models of computation and addresses the design of computational devices working in living cells. It also addresses the important problem of proper word design for DNA computing.

DNA Computing Models is designed for researchers and advanced-level students in computers science, bioengineering and molecular biology as a reference or secondary text book. This book is also suitable for practitioners in industry.

Modeling Reactive Systems With Statecharts : The Statemate Approach

Modeling Reactive Systems With Statecharts : The Statemate Approach

Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Premiere 6.5 in 24 Hours

Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Premiere 6.5 in 24 Hours


Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Premiere in 24 Hours offers practical advice from an author with a strong writing background, solid teaching experience, and extensive television production credentials.Rather than simply presenting a collection of disconnected lessons, Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Premiere in 24 Hours always reminds its readers of the big picture and what they're trying to accomplish. The book includes not only instruction on the basics of using Premiere, but also tips on shooting high quality video, creating professional voice-overs, and effective methods.Adobe Premiere brings high-end video editing to the PC (90% of Premiere users use Windows). Anyone with a Windows PC who wants to venture into anything more than very simple video editing will eventually turn to Premiere.The planned new version of Premiere (slated for release in late summer 2002) will garner significant attention in part because it will add DVD authoring to its extensive feature set. The opportunity to create DVDs-from home movies to Hollywood productions-on PCs is a dramatic development, and Premiere will be at the forefront of the emerging technology. The author has been working closely with Adobe, advising them on DVD software issues.

Sams Teach Yourself Object Oriented Programming in 21 Days

Sams Teach Yourself Object Oriented Programming in 21 Days

Sams Teach Yourself Object Oriented Programming in 21 Days differs from other OOP books in two main ways. Many classic OOP books are designed for software engineers and teach at an academic level. Sams Teach Yourself Object Oriented Programming in 21 Days presents accessible, user-friendly lessons designed with the beginning programmer in mind. Other OOP books work to present both OOP and to teach a programming language (for example: Object-Oriented Programming in C ). Although Sams Teach Yourself Object Oriented Programming in 21 Days uses Java to present the examples, the book is designed to present concepts that apply to any OOP environment.

iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap (2nd Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself)

iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap (2nd Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself)

iPod enthusiasts, this book is for you.?I>iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap, Second Edition has been updated to cover the latest version of iTunes and the entire family of iPods, including the new Nano, and podcast and video download features. Organized into a series of well-organized, bite-sized, quickly accomplished tasks, the book lets you zero right in on the one particular task you want to accomplish, quickly figure out what to do, do it, and then get back to your favorite thing to do: play with your iPod.

Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache All in One (3rd Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself)

Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache All in One (3rd Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself)

You own your own business. You have also created a website for your business that details the products or services that you offer, but it doesn't allow potential customers to purchase anything online. Don't risk losing business-learn to create a dynamic online environment using only three programs. PHP, MySQL and Apache are three popular open-source tools that can work together to help you create a dynamic website, such as an online shopping experience. Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache All in One is a complete reference manual for all three development tools. You will learn how to install, configure and set up the PHP scripting language, use the MySQL database system, and work with the Apache Web server. Then you'll take it a step further and discover how they work together to create a dynamic website. Use the book and the included CD to create a simple website, as well as a mailing list, online address book, shopping cart and storefront. Updated to reflect the most recent developments in PHP and MySQL, including the final stable release of MySQL 5.0, you will open your website to limitless possibilities with Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache All in One.