This Month in Physics History- physicsknow
February 11, 1738: Jacques de Vaucanson Exhibits Flute-playing Automaton
n 18th century Europe, intricate mechanical creatures were all the rage among nobles and commoners alike. The undisputed master of lifelike automatons was a French inventor named Jacques de Vaucanson, whom Voltaire dubbed a "new Prometheus."
Vaucanson...
