Ada Lovelace
Mathematician
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Ada who loved machines. She also loved the idea of flying.
She studied birds to work out the perfect balance between wing size and body weight. She tested out materials and tried out several designs. She never managed to soar like a bird, but she created a beautiful book full of drawings called “Flyology” where she recorded all of her findings.
One night, Ada went to a ball. There she met a grumpy old mathematician named Charles Babbage. Ada was a brilliant mathematician herself, and the two soon became good friends. Charles invited Ada to see a machine he had invented. He called it the “Difference Engine”. It could automatically add and subtract numbers. No one had ever done that before.
Ada was hooked.
“What if we built a machine that could make more complicated calculations?” she said. Excited, Ada and Charles started working. Their machine was huge, and it required an enormous steam engine.
Ada wanted to go further: “What if this machine could play music and show letters as well as numbers?”
She was describing a computer, way before modern computers were invented!
Comprehension Questions
1. What was Ada's book called?
A. Flyology
B. Beautiful birds
C. Various Wingspans
2. How did Ada meet Charles?
A. At a math seminar
B. At a ball
C. In the park
A. At a math seminar
B. At a ball
C. In the park
Your Thoughts
3. Did you like this excerpt? Why or why not?
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.