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[quote=Xyzzy;133319][COLOR=White].[/COLOR][/quote]
That's not real...the left image is on [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum[/URL] and the right image is from [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Opossum[/URL]
Still pretty funny, though. :missingteeth:

[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7391593.stm[/url]

[quote=rogue;133437][URL]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7391593.stm[/URL][/quote]

This is a typical example of English-speaking countries' idea that they invented everything (like elevators, cars, etc. - of course all invented by Germans ;-P). What Babbage did in the 19th century, Leibnitz had done in the 17th century, cf. wikipedia:

The [B]Step Reckoner[/B] or [B]Stepped Reckoner[/B], a translation of its German name [B]Staffelwalze[/B], was a digital [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_calculator"]mechanical calculator[/URL] invented by German mathematician [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Wilhelm_Leibniz"]Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz[/URL] around 1672 and completed 1694.


PS: I should also copy from that same page the noteworthy citation:[INDENT] [I]...it is beneath the dignity of excellent men to waste their time in calculation when any peasant could do the work just as accurately with the aid of a machine.[/I]

—-- Gottfried Leibniz[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepped_Reckoner#cite_note-Meyer1925-0"][1][/URL]
[/INDENT]

[QUOTE=m_f_h;133660]This is a typical example of English-speaking countries' idea that they invented everything (like elevators, cars, etc. - of course all invented by Germans ;-P). What Babbage did in the 19th century, Leibnitz had done in the 17th century, cf. wikipedia:
...[/QUOTE]This is a typical example of German-speaking countries' idea that they invented everything (like elevators, cars, etc. - of course all invented by French ;-P). What Leibnitz did in 1672, Pascal had done in 1642, cf. wikipedia :

"In 1642, in an effort to ease his father's endless, exhausting calculations, and recalculations, of taxes owed and paid, Pascal, not yet nineteen, constructed a mechanical calculator capable of addition and subtraction, called Pascal's calculator or the Pascaline. The Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris and the Zwinger museum in Dresden, Germany, exhibit two of his original mechanical calculators. Though these machines are early forerunners to computer engineering, the calculator failed to be a great commercial success. Because it was extraordinarily expensive the Pascaline became little more than a toy, and status symbol, for the very rich both in France and throughout Europe. However, Pascal continued to make improvements to his design through the next decade and built fifty machines in total."

Jacob ;-)

I went to see the working model of Babbage's machine
in the Science Museum (London) ~ four years ago.
I know that us Brits have a lot to answer for viz a viz
relying on Newton too long, but Ada Lovelace comes in here
doesn't she?

David

[url]http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx[/url]

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[url]http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356606,00.html[/url]

[quote=S485122;133673]This is a typical example of German-speaking countries' idea that they invented everything (like elevators, cars, etc. - of course all invented by French ;-P). What Leibnitz did in 1672, Pascal had done in 1642, cf. wikipedia :...[/quote]
I must admit, an adequate reply! I stand corrected concerning Pascaline - and even concerning the cars (in the larger sense), I learned something looking at WP:cars, but I'm reassured that "...Karl (I'd prefer the spelling used in the name of my elementary school: Carl ;-) Benz is generally acknowledged as the [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inventor"]inventor[/URL] of the modern automobile";
as to the elevators, clearly Otis did NOT invent it, and at least "... the first electric elevator was built by [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Werner_von_Siemens"]Werner von Siemens[/URL] in 1880"...:blush:

[quote=Xyzzy;133719][URL]http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx[/URL][/quote]

I suppose there is a high correlation with the price of land, too (which of course should not be interpreted as devaluation of those lovely, peaceful, green (on that map at least) landscapes...)