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Benjamin Rhodes

Math is Hard: Thomas’ Arithmometer

Math is hard! Those late nights of homework are probably memories you’d rather forget, especially now that you can just pull out your iPhone

6 min readAug 15, 2020

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Benjamin Rhodes

Imagination Inspires Innovation: Edgar Allen Poe’s The Gold-Bug

We often overlook the importance of imagination and creativity in technical innovation.

4 min readAug 8, 2020

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Benjamin Rhodes

When Fax was the Future: A Brief History of the Fax Machine

In the twenty-first century, fax seems to have become a cliche or a pithy synonym for the outdated, mundane, and antiquated.

6 min readAug 1, 2020

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Benjamin Rhodes

The Empress of Number: Ada Lovelace

Computer programs are now a way of life. But who is responsible for this revolution?

7 min readJul 25, 2020

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The Empress of Number: Ada Lovelace

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Benjamin Rhodes

SOS Doesn’t Mean Anything: The Electrical Telegraph

The Electrical Telegraph has become a staple of American Old West history.

6 min readJul 18, 2020

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SOS Doesn’t Mean Anything: The Electrical Telegraph

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Benjamin Rhodes

Building the Modern Computer: Babbage’s Analytical Engine

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote on the first automatic calculating machine, Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine. Although never completed…

6 min readJul 11, 2020

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Building the Modern Computer: Babbage’s Analytical Engine

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Benjamin Rhodes

Happy Independence Day!

It’s the Fourth of July, the day we celebrate America’s birth and independence!

7 min readJul 4, 2020

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Happy Independence Day!

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Benjamin Rhodes

Calculating to Perfection: The Difference Engine

Math is often prone to error, but one invention sought to elimante human error all together.

7 min readJun 27, 2020

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Calculating to Perfection: The Difference Engine

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Benjamin Rhodes

Mechanizing Repetition: The Jacquard Loom

The Jacquard Loom, an antiquated device that has shaped modern technology.

7 min readJun 20, 2020

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Mechanizing Repetition: The Jacquard Loom

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Benjamin Rhodes

On the Road to the Internet: The Optical Telegraph

The Internet is only the latest version of long-range communication.

7 min readJun 13, 2020

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On the Road to the Internet: The Optical Telegraph

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Join me on Medium and YouTube as I explore the impact, history, and power of technology while discovering how we can use it for good and the betterment of our world.
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Benjamin Rhodes
Technology is a tool used for good or bad. Join me on YouTube and Medium as I explore how technology can be used to better our world.

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