human progress lesson

Heroes of Progress, Pt. 49: Babbage and Lovelace

In this lesson, students will learn about the lives and legacies of two 19th‐​century mathematicians and computing pioneers: Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace. These two English polymaths conceived the first automatic computer and recognized that it could have applications beyond mere calculation. Together, they laid the groundwork for modern computing.

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Heroes of Progress

13-part unit
  • Tu Youyou
    Heroes of Progress, Pt. 25: Tu Youyou

    In this article, Alexander C. R. Hammond explains how Tu Youyou’s discovery of artemisinin was “arguably the most important pharmaceutical intervention in the last half [of the 20th] century.”

  • Richard Cobden
    Heroes of Progress, Pt. 9: Richard Cobden

    Cobden’s work turned Britain, the global hegemon at the time, into a free trading nation – an act that set in motion global trade liberalization that has lifted millions of people out of poverty.

  • John Snow
    Heroes of Progress, Pt. 45: John Snow

    This lesson is about John Snow, an English physician and pioneer in anesthesia and epidemiology. Snow’s groundbreaking work led to the widespread adoption of anesthesia as well as a significant improvement in public health around the world.

  • James Watt
    Heroes of Progress, Pt. 13: James Watt

    Some historians believe that the Industrial Revolution has been the most fundamental change in human life since the Neolithic Revolution, when prehistoric humans turned from hunting and gathering to agriculture. James Watt was a key figure in this transformation.

  • Alan Turing
    Heroes of Progress, Pt. 34: Alan Turing

    In this lesson, students will learn about the tragic life of mathematical genius and key founder of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence, Alan Turing.

  • Kate Sheppard
    Heroes of Progress, Pt. 27: Kate Sheppard

    In this lesson, students will learn about the extraordinary life of Kate Sheppard, the inspirational suffragist whose tireless work and petitioning of New Zealand’s parliament in the latter half of the 19th century is largely credited for the nation becoming the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote in 1893.

  • astell and wollstonecraft
    Heroes of Progress, Pt. 46: Astell and Wollstonecraft

    In this lesson, students will learn about the lives and legacies of Mary Astell and Mary Wollstonecraft, two feminist authors whose philosophical ideas helped form the basis for later movements for gender equality and female empowerment.

  • green borlaug
    Heroes of Progress: Norman Borlaug

    In this lesson, you’ll explore the life of Norman Borlaug, Ph.D. using text and video and consider the lessons we can apply from his story to our own lives and to current world problems.

  • Rosemary Fike
    Rosemarie Fike: Women and Progress

    Rosemarie Fike is an instructor of economics at Texas Christian University and a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute. Her research focuses on understanding the effects of different types of economic institutions on women’s status and lives.

  • Lucy Wills cover
    Heroes of Progress, Pt. 28: Lucy Wills

    In this lesson, students will learn about Lucy Wills, a pioneering physician‐​researcher who discovered the link between inadequate nutrition and anemia in pregnant women.

  • Babbage and Lovelace hero
    Heroes of Progress, Pt. 49: Babbage and Lovelace

    In this lesson, students will learn about the lives and legacies of two 19th‐​century mathematicians and computing pioneers: Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace. These two English polymaths conceived the first automatic computer and recognized that it could have applications beyond mere calculation. Together, they laid the groundwork for modern computing.

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Featured article: Heroes of Progress, Pt. 49: Babbage and Lovelace by Alexander C. R. Hammond

In this lesson, students will learn about the lives and legacies of two 19th‐​century mathematicians and computing pioneers: Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace. These two English polymaths conceived the first automatic computer and recognized that it could have applications beyond mere calculation. Together, they laid the groundwork for modern computing.

Warm‐​Up

Have you ever heard of Babbage and Lovelace? Before reading the article, watch this video about them.

After watching the video, in partners, small groups, or as a whole class, answer these questions:

  • Which two machines did Babbage design?
  • Why is Lovelace called the “first programmer”?
  • Why do you think Babbage’s machines were never built in his lifetime?

Questions for Reading, Writing, and Discussion

Read the article, and then answer the following questions:

  • Which problem was Babbage trying to solve by creating a machine to perform calculations automatically?
  • Think about the historical context. What were some possible motivations for the British government granting funds to construct Babbage’s “Difference Engine”?
  • In your own words, summarize the main difference between the “Difference Engine” and the “Analytical Engine.”
  • In your opinion, what formed the bond of friendship between Babbage and Lovelace?
  • Which innovations were in place by the mid‐​1800s that allowed Babbage to give a seminar on his Analytical Engine at the University of Turin?
    Institution Which innovations were in place by the mid‐​1800s that allowed Babbage to give his seminar at the University of Turin?
    Social
    Political
    Cultural
    Economic
    Technological
  • Think about Ada Lovelace’s notes on Babbage’s Turin lecture. How was Lovelace a visionary thinker about technology? Explain in detail.
  • Why weren’t Babbage’s machines built? What lessons can you learn about human relations from his experience?
  • What are the legacies of Babbage and Lovelace? In other words, why is their work important to our lives today?

Extension Activity/​Homework

Delve Deeper and Imagine an Alternate Reality

Babbage and Lovelace were geniuses. Because of Babbage’s prickly personality, his computers were never built during his lifetime. No one knew if they would work. Today, two full‐​scale re‐​creations of Babbage’s “Difference Engines” exist. One machine is in the London Science Museum, and the other is displayed at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. In this video, a museum docent explains how the computer works. Watch the video and respond to the prompt below.

All the materials, machinery, and knowledge to build Babbage’s machines were available in the mid‐​1800s. Imagine if Charles Babbage had been better at human relations. Imagine that he convinced influential people to fund his project and that his machines had been built in the mid‐​1800s.

How would world history differ if the British had had vast computing power by the late 19th century?

Think about when nuclear power, space flight, and artificial intelligence would have been developed. Visualize how the history of the 20th century would have been different. Use your imagination and write a two‐ to three‐​paragraph essay imagining this alternate reality.