FACTUAL / INTERPRETIVE NOTE
A LINEAGE OF MACHINE INSTRUCTIONS

A useful way to connect the eras is to ask: WHERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS?

In a cam:
The instruction is in the profile of the rotating surface.

In a pinned cylinder or barrel:
The instruction is in the placement of pins, pegs, or holes.

In gearing:
The instruction is in the ratio and connection of wheels.

In punched media:
The instruction is in a pattern of holes and blanks.

In relay logic:
The instruction is in the wiring and switching relationships.

In machine code:
The instruction is a coded value interpreted by a processor.

In BASIC:
The instruction is a human-readable statement translated/interpreted into lower
level operations.

The physical embodiment changes. The deeper idea - deliberately encoding a
sequence of machine behavior - survives every transition.