Science Museum visit, 2005

Wide shot across the Serpentine (640 x 427)

North of the Serpentine, looking southwards. (I think. My sense of direction isn't the greatest).

Narrow shot across the Serpentine (640 x 427)

A similar angle to the previous shot, only zoomed in. People on the opposite bank are clearly visible.

Along the Serpentine (640 x 427)

Taken while standing on the bridge across the Serpentine. Shame about the overcast sky.

The Albert Memorial (427 x 640)

This monument is located a little way from the Alexandra Gate at the south of the park. I took the picture while standing close to the gate, using the zoom.

Entryway (640 x 427)

A wide shot of the multi-level hall. The ground floor held examples of various steam engines; the upped gallery had interactive displays about energy usage and conservation. The thin silver object suspended from the ceiling is an enormous ring, seen edge-on.

Beam engine (640 x 427)

The gift shop is visible in the background.

High-pressure engine (427 x 640)

A high-pressure steam engine, robustly constructed from cast iron. They don't make 'em like this any more.

Enormous ring (427 x 640)

Suspended high up in the Energy Hall, this ring has an LED-type display on the inside edge, displaying various messages and visual effects triggered by the exhibits in the gallery.

Do Not Touch (427 x 640)

This installation, located in the gallery, is clearly marked to dissuade people from touching it, and sounds an alarm if someone gets too close, but there are no barriers to physically prevent people from touching it. So it's up to the individual whether or not to heed the warnings. Touching the caged area results in a mild electric shock; anyone getting shocked has only him/herself to blame.

(No, I didn't touch it!).

Difference Engine (640 x 427)

To my delight, the first thing I saw when I entered the exhibition was a real, full-size, operational Difference Engine. Of course, they had to put the thing inside a glass case, or people like me would've been all over it. I'd wanted to see this ever since taking a History of Computing class at university. Not a Babbage original — he never completed his — but a replica built by the museum according to Babbage's plans, and with the bugs fixed.

Difference Engine closeup (640 x 427)

The inconvenience of flash glare didn't put me off taking far too many photos.

Another Difference Engine closeup (640 x 427)

Precisely-machined brass components.

Difference Engine, end-on (427 x 640)

Whoa, careful with those reflections.

Difference Engine, low shot (640 x 427)

I had to lie on the floor to take this one; I like shots from odd angles. Loads of reflection on the glass, but not a bad picture.

Difference Engine under construction (640 x 427)

A second replica being constructed by the museum.

Partial prototype of the Analytical Engine (640 x 427)

Babbage abandoned the Difference Engine in order to concentrate on the more ambition Analytical Engine, his plan for a mechanical, general-purpose programmable computer. It was never completed, although partial prototypes like this one were built.

Analytical Engine punched cards (427 x 640)

Examples of the punched cards on which Analytical Engine programs would have been entered.

Ferranti Pegasus (640 x 427)

Flash forward to the 1950s, when valve computers were the state of the art. The Science Museum has a Ferranti Pegasus computer, probably the last surviving operational valve computer. These beasts were among the first commercial computers, sold to businesses and operable by office staff. They cost around £45,000, which even today is a lot, but back then would've bought 40 houses.

DEC PDP-8 (427 x 640)

The first minicomputer. Not very "mini" by modern standards, but back in 1965, it was a revolution in compact computers. It operated on bytes of 12 bits in length, having been built before the 8-bit byte became standardized. It had 4096 bytes of memory, was clocked at 1MHz, and consumed 780W of power.

Core memory (640 x 427)

A lattice of tiny ceramic rings storing data magnetically, used in computers such as the PDP-8. Core memory's legacy lives on in computing terms such as "core dump".

Sinclair Executive calculator (427 x 640)

The first pocket calculator. Gotta love Sinclair kit from any era.

Clock of the Long Now prototype (427 x 640)

The final version of this clock is intended to keep time for 10,000 years, and will be of immense proportions, housed in a chamber carved out of a cliff in Nevada.

Clock of the Long Now, low shot (427 x 640)

Lying-on-the-floor shot of the Clock of the Long Now prototype.

Stephenson's Rocket (427 x 640)

Bad photo; lighting was really weird in that part of the museum. I wanted to get a low shot, but due to the position of the exhibit, I'd have had to lie in the walkway and get in everyone's way.

Difference Engine prototype (640 x 427)

Yes, there was a Difference Engine exhibit in this gallery, too. This one is Babbage's incomplete prototype.

Difference Engine prototype, from gallery (640 x 427)

I'm such a fanboy.

Cray-1 supercomputer (640 x 427)

Looks more like an item of furniture...

Early experimental camera by Talbot (640 x 427)

The addition of lenses to cameras obscura was pioneered by an Englishman called William Fox Talbot in the 1830s. Talbot had been investigating photography while on his honeymoon. (You'd think he'd have had better things to do...)

Mid-19th Century cameras (427 x 640)

A nice selection of mid-19th Century cameras.

Victorian studio camera (640 x 427)

Cameras like this produced negatives on treated glass plates.

Victorian stereoscope camera (640 x 427)

I didn't realize that the Victorians invented Viewmaster...

Early SLR camera (640 x 427)

These started appearing towards the end of the 19th Century.

Colour diagram (640 x 427)

Colour photography was developed before colour film (with three separate layers of photosensitive silver halide) was invented. Early colour cameras used a lens to separate the red, green and blue components of light; the three components were then reflected onto individual glass plates.

Periodic Table mug (640 x 427)

It makes my tea taste all... sciency.