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Devices like the Curta are beautiful, as a deleted comment mentioned, but how would we move past those? Distributed systems, databases (written journals?) etc?
by sbr464 8y ago
Devices like the Curta are beautiful, as a deleted comment mentioned, but how would we move past those? Distributed systems, databases (written journals?) etc? What value do these have outside electricity?
- supernice_storm 8y ago> how would we move past those? We did. It just turns out digital > mechanical. Thanks to Shannon and many others, we figured out we should 'pack more' into tinier spaces (circuits [0]), using less symbols (binary [1]). Another such leap would require moving past current limits of physics understanding. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor#Comparison_with_vacuum_tubes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor#Comparison_with_vac... [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69-YUSazuic&list=PLbg3ZX2pWlgKDVFNwn9B63UhYJVIerzHL&index=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69-YUSazuic&list=PLbg3ZX2pWl...
- sbr464 8y agoThat’s my precise question, does digital === electronic? If true, how do Claude Shannon’s (numerous) contributions become relevant in the absence of electricity?
- supernice_storm 8y ago>does digital === electronic? I had never thought about that. But someone has: https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-electronic-and-digital https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-electroni... >relevant in the absence of electricity? Theory is independent from practice or implementation. A logic gate is a logic gate whether you model it with wires, water channels, or whatever else. Regardless of perceived 'relevance': >The value of knowledge is not statically predefined
- sbr464 8y agoThanks for that link