Ancient Silk Weaving Machine: A Hidden Tech Marvel

A long time ago, in the Western Han dynasty, a clever machine was made to weave silk. This machine, called ti hua ji, could make fancy patterns. It was found by accident in 2012. People think it might be the world's first computer. This machine is like a computer because it can follow instructions. It uses pattern cards to make different designs. These cards are like the software in modern computers. The machine uses threads to represent binary code, similar to how computers use 1s and 0s.The ti hua ji is very old, built in 150 BC. It is much older than the looms in the West. This machine helped China become the top silk producer. It could control up to 100 devices at once. It used 10, 470 threads and 86 programmable patches. The machine was found in a tomb in Chengdu. Archaeologists found four well-preserved loom models. Experts later rebuilt the loom to understand how it worked. They found that it used pattern books with design templates. The ti hua ji is a big deal for China. It shows that China was advanced in technology long ago. Today, China is competing in many tech areas. This discovery adds to their history of innovation.