Jacquard's Web: How a Hand-Loom Led to the Birth of the Information Age

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James Essinger traces the unexpected origins of the digital world back to the silk workshops of Napoleonic France. He reveals how Joseph Marie Jacquard invented a revolutionary loom that used punched cards to automate complex fabric patterns. These cards functioned as the first binary storage system, effectively becoming the world's earliest computer programs. By linking the artistry of weaving t…

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Crafts Computers History Nonfiction book Technology History Of Science James Essinger Biography Science

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