Sketch of the Analytical Engine Invented by Charles Babbage

Answers

• Q01THINKING

  Can a machine originate an idea that its maker did not supply?

  This answer is hidden while the authors build this question’s position key.

• Q03THINKING

  Can a machine exercise judgment when faced with circumstances its maker did not anticipate?

  No. the machine handles only cases foreseen in its cards. The engine cannot interpret a result that is not self-evident, such as a value becoming infinite; it can handle the case only if the programmer foresaw it and punched a card for it.

  Examinons encore quelques-unes des difficultés que la machine doit surmonter pour que son assimilation à l’analyse soit plus complète. Il y a certaines fonctions qui doivent changer de nature lorsqu’elles passent par zéro ou l'infini, ou dont les valeurs ne sauraient être admises au delà de ces limites. Lorsque ces cas se présentent, la machine au moyen d’une sonnerie peut avertir que le passage par zéro ou l'infini a lieu , et alors elle s’arrête , jusqu’à ce que le gardien l'ait remise en action pour telle autre opération qu’on voudra lui ordonner, Si cette opération est prévue, la machine, au lieu de sonner, se disposera de manière à présenter les nouveaux cartons relatifs à l'opération qui doit succéder au passage par zéro et l'infini: Ces nouveaux cartons peuvent faire suité aux premiers et n’entrer en jeu que lorsque les deux'cireonstances indiquées précédemment auront lieu.

  Let us examine further some of the difficulties which the machine must overcome for its assimilation to analysis to be more complete. There are certain functions which must change their nature when they pass through zero or infinity, or whose values cannot be admitted beyond these limits. When these cases arise, the machine can give warning by means of a bell that the passage through zero or infinity is taking place, and then it stops until the attendant has set it going again for whatever other operation one wishes to order it to perform. If this operation has been foreseen, the machine, instead of ringing, will arrange itself so as to present the new cards relating to the operation which is to follow the passage through zero and infinity. These new cards may follow on from the first ones and come into play only when the two circumstances indicated above occur.

  OCR correctedmachine translation

  Read the English translation at psychclassics.yorku.ca: 'we should thus require of the machine to interpret a result not of itself evident, and that this is not amongst its attributes, since it is no thinking being.'