Once in a while, Chris and I will put together a pair of podcasts that carry a common theme. For example, our Steve Jobs and Bill Gates podcasts had close ties. This week, we decided to give a quick overview of some theoretical computers that could revolutionize the way we process complicated computations as well as the devices that led to the development of the modern computer we know and love.

Monday’s episode was all about the future. We took a look at three potential approaches to computing. Quantum computing depends upon the strange laws of quantum mechanics to process information. Next, we talk about DNA computers, which will use DNA to encode and store data. The third approach uses photonic computers — machines that use light instead of electricity. I read in Discover Magazine recently that new developments in optical technology may bring these computers closer to reality.

On Wednesday, we juiced up the flux capacitor, set the clock back a few thousand years, got into the DeLorean and headed out to hit 88 miles per hour. Unfortunately, traffic on Peachtree Street was problematic, so we decided to do research instead. Chris and I talked about the long and interesting story we humans created on our way to develop the computer. Covering more than 2,000 years of history in a single podcast is a tall order, even from two chatterboxes like your beloved TechStuff hosts. We had to skip around a bit to hit what we consider to be the highlights. But if you listen to the podcast, you might learn how a 17th century weaver laid the groundwork for a revolutionary data encoding system. You may also learn about Lord Byron’s daughter programming code in binary for a computational engine that did not physically exist. And you’ll learn of my love for the Beastie Boys.

We’ve been getting a lot of feedback on our episodes dealing with older technologies. While we don’t want to tread upon the delicate toes of our beloved sister podcast, Stuff You Missed in History Class, I have a feeling we’ll delve into other historical subjects in future episodes. If nothing else, it means we can talk about something other than Twitter.

Learn more about computers at HowStuffWorks.com:

How PCs Work
How Quantum Computers Work
How DNA Computers Will Work
How Boolean Logic Works
How Bits and Bytes Work