The Newlyn/Phillips machine now displayed in Leeds University Business School is the original prototype of the hydraulic computer developed by A.W.B. Phillips of the London School of Economics and Professor Walter Newlyn of the University of Leeds for modelling macro-economic systems. The machine and its descendents were highly influential in the development of Keynesian economics in the 1950s, and are of interest to economics, to historians of computing, and to historians of science (hence the involvement of Mary Morgan in the program below).
1.30 – 3.00 Open Workshop.
Chair Professor Giuseppe Fontana, Leeds University Business School
1. Introduction to the Leeds Machine Project. Dr Greg Radick (Centre for History and Philosophy of Science, University of Leeds)
2. “The Creation of the Newlyn/Phillips Hydraulic Machine” Professor Mary Morgan (LSE)
Walter Newlyn’s role in inventing the famous hydraulic model of the macro-economy known as the Phillips Machine has often been overlooked, yet his contributions to the machine’s design and creation were as important as those of Bill Phillips. Phillips famously knew little economics, whereas Newlyn understood the circulation of money from his participation in the pre-War commodities market. This paper discusses how they combined their different expertises - and their shared pleasure in getting things to work - to create the first prototype, the Mark I machine, for Leeds (forerunner of the better-known Mark II machine, an example of which is housed in the London Science Museum).
3. “Resurrecting the Cambridge Machine”, Dr Allan McRobie (Cambridge University Engineering Department)
With objects of historical significance there is always a dynamic tension between conservation and restoration. Given the existence of the beautifully conserved Machine in the Science Museum, the decision was made by the Dept of Economics in Cambridge to restore their Machine to full working order, albeit with minimal intrusion on the original workings.
Over the summer of 2003, Allan - with help from
technicians in the Engineering Dept and advice from economists - undertook the
refurbishment. The Cambridge Machine now works and - moreover - is safe to work
with. Allan has since given many working demonstrations of the Machine to a wide
variety of audiences. This short talk describes what was involved,
with a view to assessing what might be involved in the Leeds Machine
project.
3.00 – 4.00 Coffee / Visit to the Leeds Machine
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