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LEGO Difference Engine
Andrew Carol ^
| 2/9/2006
| by Andrew Carol
Posted on 02/09/2006 6:26:12 PM PST by zeugma
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This isn't really news or anything, but I just saw this referenced on
SlashDot, and just couldn't resist posting it because it is just Too Freaking Cool.
I can also tie this into current events if you squint just a little bit at it. You see, Lego is a product of Denmark. Given the issues that the country is currently having with whacked out muslims, (is there any other kind?), I figure Lego is tangentially topical.
1
posted on
02/09/2006 6:26:14 PM PST
by
zeugma
To: ShadowAce; N3WBI3
Tech pings?
2
posted on
02/09/2006 6:28:45 PM PST
by
zeugma
(Muslims are varelse...)
To: zeugma
That tie-in is a major stretch, since it is 'Mentos Cool'(TM), we're good to go. :-)
3
posted on
02/09/2006 6:29:03 PM PST
by
Riley
("What color is the boathouse at Hereford?")
To: Riley
Thanks! I just couldn't resist.
4
posted on
02/09/2006 6:34:02 PM PST
by
zeugma
(Muslims are varelse...)
To: zeugma
Very cool- thanks for the post.
BTW mechanical computers didn't die out with Babbage. Every office in the US had mechanical adding machines not very many years ago- they could add, subtract and multiply.
The main guns on the Iowa class battleships are directed by mechanical ballistic computers.
WWII US subs had mechanical fire control computers linked to the periscopes and on-deck binoculars through a Torpedo Bearing Transmitter (TBT) system. Compute the enemy's course and speed, Triangulate their position, enter the sub's course and speed, turn the crank, and it plots the bearing and range for the torpedo shot. Pretty nifty, eh?
5
posted on
02/09/2006 6:39:17 PM PST
by
Ostlandr
( Hey! Where'd my tagline go?)
To: zeugma
You must not live with siblings. Younger, rug cruising, siblings destroy Lego creations because it's fun; older siblings destroy Lego creations to see if they can upset you, and, because it's fun. How do you propose to keep the difference engine in one piece, because you know, friends destroy Lego creations because... it's fun.
To: concentric circles
Younger, rug cruising, siblings destroy Lego creations because it's fun; older siblings destroy Lego creations to see if they can upset you, and, because it's fun Moms destroy your Lego creations because the floor is filthy & she need to clean.
(That's where most of mine went, anyway. :-)
7
posted on
02/09/2006 6:51:53 PM PST
by
MamaTexan
(I am NOT a ~legal entity~, nor am I a *person* as created by law!)
To: MamaTexan
You need this, cleans and sorts!
To: concentric circles
You need this, cleans and sorts! ROFL!
Now THAT is a useful invention!
9
posted on
02/09/2006 7:31:10 PM PST
by
MamaTexan
(I am NOT a ~legal entity~, nor am I a *person* as created by law!)
To: Ostlandr
Da, very cool. My folks had a grocery store when I was a but a wee lad. We had mechanical Sweeda registers. One of our meat pricing machines (a Hobart I think) was a really early model, that actually had about an ounce of gold in it as contacts!
I saw an article about a museum attempting to actually build an 'Analytical Engine' about a year or so ago. They were attempting to machine the thing out of the same material Babbage would have used. It turns out that it was not as easy as one would think even using modern machine tools because the tolerances had to be so tight. That's one reason I thought the Lego version was so cool.
10
posted on
02/09/2006 7:32:43 PM PST
by
zeugma
(Muslims are varelse...)
To: concentric circles
Well, I'm an AFL (Adult Fan of Lego), which essentially means I'm still about 10 years old inside. :-) My friends aren't allowed to tear up my creations.
11
posted on
02/09/2006 7:34:09 PM PST
by
zeugma
(Muslims are varelse...)
To: Peanut Gallery; sionnsar
12
posted on
02/09/2006 7:41:51 PM PST
by
Professional Engineer
(It's a bunch of hot air, crap flows down hill, and electrons go wherever they darn well please.)
To: zeugma
And to keep the thread alive just a bit longer... I thought the following comment contributed on /. was interesting...
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?'
I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
Sounds like politicians haven't changed in ages.
13
posted on
02/09/2006 7:47:21 PM PST
by
zeugma
(Muslims are varelse...)
Comment #14 Removed by Moderator
Comment #15 Removed by Moderator
To: Marcus _Aurelius-180
It was electro-mechanical. Yeah, platinum is better, but it normally sells at a 15-20% premium to gold, and gold has the advantage that it doesn't corrode. It was a nice bit of hardware. Once we upgraded to more modern hardware, I recovered the gold with a bit of teenage elbow grease. :-)
16
posted on
02/09/2006 9:27:47 PM PST
by
zeugma
(Muslims are varelse...)
To: Marcus _Aurelius-180
From what I understand, there are still some analog computers still in use, as the can do "fuzzy" logic, and has been useful in simulating chaotic systems. I believe analog computers were used by Benoit Mandelbrot while at IBM doing whatever it was he wanted to do as an "IBM Fellow".
17
posted on
02/09/2006 9:30:51 PM PST
by
zeugma
(Muslims are varelse...)
Comment #18 Removed by Moderator
Comment #19 Removed by Moderator
To: fnord; phantomworker; sd-joe; Jack Black; TXBSAFH; SouthernBoyupNorth; Ichneumon; ...
Thanks to
Professional Engineer for the ping!
Geezer Geek ping.
This is a very low-volume ping list (typically days to weeks between pings).
FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this list.
20
posted on
02/10/2006 2:30:13 PM PST
by
sionnsar
(†trad-anglican.faithweb.com† | Libs: Celebrate MY diversity! | Iran Azadi 2006 | Is it March yet?)
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