If only the Queen had Legos for Uncle Chuck

Years ago I read a fascinating book called The Difference Engine by Bruce Sterling and William Gibson, in which Charles Babbage's mechanical computer actually got built back in the 19th century. The book was a neat romp through the industrial computer revolution -- steampunk at its finest. In practical terms, the materials sciences back then weren't quite up to snuff, or so I've been told. His Difference Engine never got built, which is why Charles Babbage is more of the "crazy uncle" of the information age, instead of its father. If he'd had legos, though... That's right, it's a Difference Engine built with Lego and Lego Technic pieces, the brainchild of Andrew Carol. And you can read all about it by clicking the picture. Hat tip to Schlocker "Demau Senae," who emailed me the link this morning. (And in a happy piece of serendipity, the site detailing Andy's remarkable achievement is hosted by Steve Wozniak, whose name you may have heard in conjunction with modern computing.)