For the most part, today's computers become obsolete within the span of just a few years. But at the least some of the obsolete ones look pretty cool! And thus, I've arranged this gallery of epic old-school computers.
The Jacquard Loom, invented c. 1801. Not technically a computer, but it used a lot of the same technology as the computers that came after it.
And what steampunk computer gallery would be complete without a difference engine or two. This here is a modern production of the Analytical Engine, the second of two computing devices invented by Charles Babbage. In 1823, ten years before this one was designed, Babbage designed the Difference Engine, which inspired the popular steampunk novel of the same name.
My personal favorite, the Mark 1. This showed up in the 1940's, so it's technically past the more typical steampunk era, but it's just way too awesome to leave out of this gallery. Deal with it.
All right, this one is a TV prop, not a functioning computer, but it still looks pretty cool. This one is from the set of LOST, based on the styles of computers in the late 20th century. >: I miss that show.
Once they started being mass produced, computers, like so many other things we live with, have turned into dull gray boxes. The good news is that a dull gray box could also serve as a blank canvas--the internet is filled with epic steampunk computer mods. Modern functionality meets old-school aesthetic. I like the steampunk future. :)
With exams this week, I've done plenty of wandering about the aetherwebs looking for ways to squander my precious time--I mean, no, really, Mom, I've been studying like a boss--so, like any teenager, I've spent my spare time watching BBC history documentaries! ...Okay, maybe I'm weird and nerdy, but that's beside the point.
My latest time wasting intellectual endeavor is this little fun fest of Victorian weirdness: Victorian Pharmacy, a four-episode recreation of how a pharmacy would have functioned a century and a half ago. Historical medicines, from herbal infusions to placebo scams, are tested out on modern volunteers--within reason, of course. While not overtly steampunk, it keeps in tune with the steamy concepts of exploring both the revolutionary and the just plain strange science and technology of the industrial revolution. You can watch it for free here.
During school breaks, my sister and I have a tradition of playing games from Her Interactive's Nancy Drew series, and therefore, I've been a fan of it since childhood. So when I saw the cover of The Deadly Device, I just about died of excitement.
Further examination reveals a plot dripping with steampunkness, and, to my great joy, lots of references to Nikola Tesla. The plot begins with a modern-day scientific genius being murdered in the midst of an experiment based on Tesla's theories. A police investigation reveals nothing, so the owner of the lab takes the obvious next step: hiring a teenager, of course! (Suspension of disbelief, people. Use it.) And that's where you, playing as girl detective Nancy Drew, come in.
To begin with, I won't be able to review this without comparing it to it's many predecessors. The occasionally tedious point-and-click puzzle formula remains unchanged throughout the series, but the plot lines, remarkably, have grown less predictable in the later games. Whereas the early Nancy Drew games almost always put the most friendly and non-suspicious character in the role of perpetrator, The Deadly Device kept me guessing all the way through, and with all the suspicious characters and misleading clues, it really did feel like walking into a mystery novel.
Those who play this series for the scare factor will be disappointed. Her Interactive has indeed been flirting with the horror genre quite a bit as of late, but not once throughout the Deadly Device was I genuinely scared. This wasn't really a problem, per-se, as the mystery aspects and epic steampunk scenery were more than enough to keep me engaged, I can't help but wonder if a good scare or two might have made it more memorable.
As a side note, I originally meant to do a let's-play of this, which failed due to some technical issues. But, if at some point in the distant future, I actually find a decent screen capture program, I might go through with it. If I do, I'll put a link on this page, so feel free to check every now and then if you're interested.
I announce with great excitement that I will be attending Tesla Con in Madison, Wisconsin next weekend. Rumor has it that an expedition to the previously unexplored surface of the moon is being planned for the event. Naturally, a curious aethernet logger such as myself simply cannot resist the call of such scientific progress.
Having sewn a dress for the event (my first made from scratch!) and gathered a notebook and pen, I am set and ready to go.
Traveling with me is a relative of mine, the scientist Alexia von Linz, who hopes that the moon may contain new species of life yet unknown to mankind. The prospect of such a discovery would be of great excitement to an aether-journalist such as myself.
Naturally, I will be posting as preparations continue, and I shall take careful notes about our extraterrestrial travels. If I fail to do so, please bombard this page with complaints.
After
a recent trip to Chicago’s Museum
of Science and Industry, I’ve returned
with all manner of potential blog material, so this may turn into the Museum of Science and Industry Blog for a little
while.
At
first glance, green and steampunk might not go together. I mean, really,
belching smokestacks, massive factories, and air filled with London-esque smog?
But on the other hand, the modern steampunk lifestyle—self-sufficiency,
upcycling, and frugality—might be a bit more eco-friendly.
While
the museum’s Smart Home exhibit might be a bit too plain and modernist to fit
the look, it certainly has some steamy details. First off: the gardens.
Personally I think that growing one’s own food is about as DIY as it gets, and
the gardens surrounding the house are filled with fruits, vegetables, and
herbs, some around the house, some literally growing on the walls, and some in
hydroponics systems.
Inside,
it includes cutting-edge technology, like automated window shades, a smart
telescope, and bathroom mirrors that surf the web (in case you’re really addicted to Facebook?). Most of
it, being digital, would be better categorized as cyberpunk, but a little genre
mixing is fine by me.
The
real steam comes in the furniture, most of which is from reclaimed industrial or
vintage pieces. Old filing cabinets and all manner of old knickknacks and so
forth sit inside with the postmodern architecture. Sadly, I couldn’t get any
interior pictures, but you could find some at the official site.
In
other announcements, I’ll be gone for the next week or so and probably won’t
have internet access, but I’ll be sure to post about my travels when I get
back.
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