Wissenschaftler haben aus Federn einen funktionierenden Computer gebaut, der kein einziges Watt Strom verbraucht: Dieser bizarre mechanische Computer hat keine Drähte oder Chips.
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/spring-computer-amazing/
11 Kommentare
Can run Doom?
Not quite the sort of analog computing I was expecting. Interesting stuff!
Sounds like a precursor to the nanoscale rod logic from Neil Stephenson’s book The Diamond Age.
Sounds like Memory Rick was able to do something while trapped in Jerry’s mind
Logic gates using mechanical switches. It’s not a particularly new idea. It used to be a bit of a punchline in GOFAI discussions that the medium didn’t matter when creating intelligence, and that you could build a thinking machine out of meat or from rubber bands and beer cans. I’m paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it.
This website is cancer. You can’t click anything other than accept all for the cookie pop up. Pretty sure that’s illegal in the EU.
The oldest computers were mechanical, and there are endless ways to do this. This is the first I’ve heard of springs though.
Anyone ever read Perdido Street Station? There was a really cool AI type of thing that was all mechanical in the junkyard, if I remember correctly. I read it last a long time ago, so I might he off a bit, but it was such a cool concept to a younger me. This seems similar.
Is this still binary, in this case useless! No need.
The interesting thing is ternary, quaternary or more…..even analogic of some sort to get closer to quantum.
Call me when they do it with ants.
I was impressed by the mechanical computer at the ‘Sagrada Familiar’ Cathedral – used to calculate balancing column loads in three dimensions. It simultaneously calculates the loads for hundreds of pillars, such that sideways stresses were minimised.
The ‘computer’ is built out of a selection of small standardised weights, connected together by pieces of string, and hung ‘upside down’ compared to the real stone structure.
True vertical, represents zero sideways displacement, the “solution” is achieved by connecting strings and appropriate sized weights, such that forces balance.
Each ‘standard weight’ represents something like 10 tonnes or 100 tonnes in the real structure.
I presume that this ‘analogue string computer’ has now been replaced by a digital version. But the conception of this original ‘string computer’ is an impressive demonstration of what can be achieved by ‘primitive means’.
Most people walk by it, unaware of its true significance.
But it’s genius !