Scenarios about 'alternative computing'

The development of computing technologies, architectures, or paradigms that diverged from the mainstream electronic digital computers that came to dominate information processing. Alternative computing encompasses mechanical computers, analog systems, biological computing, quantum computation, and other non-traditional approaches to information processing that might have become more prevalent in different historical circumstances. These alternative paths represent fascinating "what-if" scenarios in technological evolution where different design philosophies or scientific discoveries could have led to radically different information ages.