The Turk : the life and times of the famous eighteenth-century chess-playing machine
(Book)
Author
Published
New York : Walker & Co., 2002., New York : Walker & Co., [2002].
Physical Desc
xiv, 272 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.
Status
Gilpin County Public Library - NONFICTION
794.1 STANDAGE
1 available
794.1 STANDAGE
1 available
Description
Loading Description...
Also in this Series
Checking series information...
Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Gilpin County Public Library - NONFICTION | 794.1 STANDAGE | On Shelf |
More Copies In Prospector
Loading Prospector Copies...
More Details
Published
New York : Walker & Co., 2002., New York : Walker & Co., [2002].
Format
Book
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (p. [255]-260) and index.
Description
"On an autumn day in 1769, a Hungarian nobleman named Wolfgang von Kempelen attended a conjuring show at the court of Maria Theresa, empress of Austria-Hungary. So unimpressed was Kempelen by the performance that he declared he could do better himself. Maria Theresa held him to his word and gave him six months to prepare a show of his own.
Description
Kempelen did not disappoint; he returned to the court the following spring with a mechanical man, fashioned from wood, powered by clockwork, dressed in a stylish Turkish costume - and capable of playing chess.".
Description
"The Turk, as this contraption became known, was an instant success and enjoyed an illustrious career in Europe and America during the next eighty-five years. Associated over time with a host of historical figures, including Benjamin Franklin, Catherine the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Charles Babbage, and Edgar Allan Poe, Kempelen's creation also unwittingly helped to inspire the development of the power loom, the computer, and the detective story.
Description
Everywhere it went, the Turk baffled spectators and provoked frenzied speculation about whether a machine could really think. Many rival theories were published serving only to undermine each other, and the Turk's secret was only ever revealed to a select few.".
Description
"Part historical detective story, part real-life fairy tale, The Turk chronicles the machine's remarkable and checkered career against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution, as mechanical technology opened up dramatic new possibilities and the relationship between people and machines was being redefined. Today, in the midst of the computer age, that relationship has assumed a new significance, as scientists and philosophers continue to debate the possibility of machine intelligence.
Description
To modern eyes, the Turk was a surprisingly farsighted invention, and its saga is a colorful and important part of the history of technology."--BOOK JACKET.
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Standage, T. (2002). The Turk: the life and times of the famous eighteenth-century chess-playing machine . Walker & Co..
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Standage, Tom. 2002. The Turk: The Life and Times of the Famous Eighteenth-century Chess-playing Machine. Walker & Co.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Standage, Tom. The Turk: The Life and Times of the Famous Eighteenth-century Chess-playing Machine Walker & Co, 2002.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Standage, Tom. The Turk: The Life and Times of the Famous Eighteenth-century Chess-playing Machine Walker & Co., 2002.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
Staff View
Loading Staff View.