2 ms·
This is false. Nothing happened "by itself". This thing as explained by the author of the article requires "a series of cleverly designed levers" and "a mechani
by kccqzy 3y ago
This is false. Nothing happened "by itself". This thing as explained by the author of the article requires "a series of cleverly designed levers" and "a mechanical thermostat" and "a single screw underneath the crumb tray to adjust the tension of the wire".
This kind of mechanical engineering is really no different from software engineering. You design a series of mechanisms to make things happen, whether through levers and screws and bimetal strips or code. With code, frankly less effort is needed for such design. And yes there could be elegance in code that is not directly apparent to the consumer, much like there is elegance here.
I'm not disputing elegance. I'm decrying the lack of functionality and lack of control by the user.
- Brian_K_White 3y agoMany aspects of the things operation happen by itself. They cut a piece of metal to a particular shape, but the properties and behavior of that metal already existed and were not designed by anyone, merely disscovered and utilized. It's somewhat like the difference between a mechanical interlock and a program with rules that do the same thing. You could have two solenoids operating two relays, and two extra contacts on each relay to act as sensors, and some code that says if A is on then turn B off, if B is on then turn A off. (pretend for the moment that a single relay can't be both sides at the same time) Or you could have no solenoids and no sensors and no computer, just a solid bar connecting the two switches with a pivot in the middle. It becomes impossible to press both switches at once, and the function, the enforcing of the desired truth table rule, very much happens "by itself". The fact that a person designed and fashioned the mechanical interlock does not make the two systems equal, in kind not just in degree.