Computers, Clocks, and Human Calculators

Before computers did the heavy lifting of calculations, humans were the ones grinding through numbers—often literally with pencil and paper. David Alan Grier, in his recent conversation with Big Think, dives into the fascinating history of how this all began, and how the Industrial Revolution set the stage for our algorithmic age.

The Dawn of Systematic Thinking

The Industrial Revolution wasn't just about smokestacks and spinning jennies. It was a time when folks got serious about systems. Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, wasn't just a book—it was a blueprint for how to produce uniform goods efficiently. Grier points out that this systematic approach didn't just apply to pottery and cotton. It was a mindset that influenced everything from astronomy to the very beginnings of computing.

"Astronomy was the first," Grier notes, emphasizing how systematic exploration of the stars required a systematic approach to data. Imagine tracking thousands of stars with nothing but a telescope and a team of human "computers"—the term used for people who did the number crunching back then.

From Hand to Machine

Charles Babbage, often called the father of the computer, had an epiphany. What if you could mechanize this tedious process of calculation? His idea of a difference engine—a machine designed to calculate polynomial functions—was revolutionary, even if the execution was a bit ahead of its time. Grier highlights how Babbage was inspired by the industrial processes around him, particularly the railroads.

However, Babbage faced a challenge: his machines were like steam engines, in both complexity and scale. They required precision engineering that was just out of reach. "Babbage was building a machine to do calculations like a railroad engine," Grier explains, highlighting both the ambition and the impracticality of his designs.

The Clockwork Connection

Grier also draws a fascinating parallel between clocks and computing. In the 18th century, escapement clocks were cutting-edge technology. They brought precision to everyday life and were essential for the burgeoning factories that required synchronized labor. It wasn't just about knowing when to have lunch; it was about coordinating complex processes reliably.

A Swedish father-son duo later took Babbage's ideas and applied clock technology to create a functional calculating machine. Clocks, with their tiny gears and reliable mechanics, offered a model for precision and standardization—key components in both timekeeping and computation.

The Legacy of Human Calculators

While machines eventually took over, the legacy of human calculators is profound. It was these early number crunchers who laid the groundwork for the digital age. Grier notes, "The process of systematizing, correcting errors, finding approximations, and making them work as civil systems" was foundational for modern computing.

In a world where AI and algorithms dominate, it's worth remembering that human ingenuity—and sometimes sheer stubbornness—got us here. The Industrial Revolution may have given us factories, but it also gave us a way of thinking that transformed how we understand and interact with the world.

So, as we sit at our sleek laptops or tap away on our smartphones, spare a thought for those early number crunchers and their quest to make sense of the stars. They might not have had silicon chips, but they had something just as powerful: the drive to understand the universe, one calculation at a time.

Ellis Redmond