5 ms·
Cool. I've been reading about analog computers recently, and here's a little history: 1936: Water integrator, used in USSR until the '80s: https://en.wikipedia
by jamesmurdza 3y ago
Cool. I've been reading about analog computers recently, and here's a little history:
1936: Water integrator, used in USSR until the '80s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_integrator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_integrator
1940s: Torpedo Data Computer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo_Data_Computer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo_Data_Computer
1949: MONIAC, another water integrator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_Machine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_Machine
1960s: Scanimate, of which there are still a couple in use: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanimate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanimate
Modern day: Slime molds, other biocomputers, and domino computer: https://youtu.be/OpLU__bhu2w https://youtu.be/OpLU__bhu2w
And of course, quantum computers.
- pkaye 3y agoUS Navy Mechanical Computer training film from 1953. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1i-dnAH9Y4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1i-dnAH9Y4
- bee_rider 3y agoI love the care that goes into the presentation in these old videos. Slow, with plenty of breaks to let your brain catch up, usually filled with a nice graphical example to keep your bring churning. Plenty of “why” explanation, in the beginning. Authoritative, but not condescending. Just the right amount of jargon.
- alexott 3y agoThere are also pneumatic computers. Here is the recent article: https://cacm.acm.org/news/275366-pneumatic-computing-gains-air-of-importance/fulltext https://cacm.acm.org/news/275366-pneumatic-computing-gains-a..., but I remember (around 30 years ago) mentions of them in the field of nuclear reactors…
- acidburnNSA 3y agoHere's one from the 1960s used to determine the power coefficient of reactivity for a sodium-cooled graphite moderated reactor in Nebraska. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015095040682&view=1up&seq=32 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015095040682&vi...
- bjelkeman-again 3y agoA very nice and funny demonstration of the Moniac. https://youtu.be/gkNaZJmii28?si=7SHd3R3xBFxc86HS https://youtu.be/gkNaZJmii28?si=7SHd3R3xBFxc86HS
- corethree 3y agoQuantum computing isn't an analog computer. It's not digital either but it's definitely not analog. It has this thing called qubits.
- AlexErrant 3y agoAnalog and digital quantum computing are distinct things https://www.quera.com/glossary/analog-quantum-computing https://www.quera.com/glossary/analog-quantum-computing
- zer00eyz 3y agoTides! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide-predicting_machine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide-predicting_machine
- snowpid 3y agoanabrid, the computer behind THAT was funded by the German govt's DARPA: https://www.sprind.org/en/projects/ulmann/ https://www.sprind.org/en/projects/ulmann/