Reading The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch and came across this thought provoking quote. The author is comparing analog and digital computers and is explaining that analog computers could never be the universal machines that digital computers have become.
Analog computers represent information as continuous values (think slide rule), while digital computers represent information as discrete values (think calculator). During calculations with analog computers, external factors (such as thermal fluctuations, electrical noise, etc) can lead to the accumulation of errors, limiting the use of an analog computer. Error correction in digital computers ensures the integrity of information throughout the calculation. Because of this, digital computers can be used for universal computation, therefore, this represents (among other examples in the book) the beginning of infinity.
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