Comments on: Logic gates made of live crabs http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 23:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: metacalifragilistic http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1396005 metacalifragilistic Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1396005 Are you talking about fuzzy logic, or Schrodinger's quantum computer? Are you talking about fuzzy logic, or Schrodinger’s quantum computer?

]]> By: DevinC http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395987 DevinC Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395987 I was thinking about the ramifications of this technology should it ever supplant regular silicon ships.  "Poor Dave.  He had a stack overflow and was pincered to death." I was thinking about the ramifications of this technology should it ever supplant regular silicon ships.  ”Poor Dave.  He had a stack overflow and was pincered to death.”

]]> By: Robert Cruickshank http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395935 Robert Cruickshank Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395935 Everyone's been talking about this "clawed computing",  thing and I thought they were saying "cloud".  Now it all makes sense.   Everyone’s been talking about this “clawed computing”,  thing and I thought they were saying “cloud”.  Now it all makes sense.  

]]> By: teknocholer http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395900 teknocholer Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395900 The Discworld reference in the first comment trumped it. The Discworld reference in the first comment trumped it.

]]> By: Daniel Smith http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395898 Daniel Smith Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395898 I'll bet the grant proposal for this made for good reading.  I’ll bet the grant proposal for this made for good reading. 

]]> By: awjt http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395893 awjt Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395893 "Hello, help desk? I can't get my crab computer to work." "Did you open another shell?" "Yes, but it's cracked." "What about your web crawler?" "That's my spider computer; it's working fine." "Is it a King Crab platform?" "No, that's my mainframe.  This one's just a softshell." &c. “Hello, help desk? I can’t get my crab computer to work.”
“Did you open another shell?”
“Yes, but it’s cracked.”
“What about your web crawler?”
“That’s my spider computer; it’s working fine.”
“Is it a King Crab platform?”
“No, that’s my mainframe.  This one’s just a softshell.”
&c.

]]> By: oasisob1 http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395877 oasisob1 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395877 Computer chips are very small. Crabs are quite large in comparison, so they can build a giant simulation of a computer chip out of crabs, and observe in real time how computers work. Because until now, computers were like magnets, as far as that goes. Computer chips are very small. Crabs are quite large in comparison, so they can build a giant simulation of a computer chip out of crabs, and observe in real time how computers work. Because until now, computers were like magnets, as far as that goes.

]]> By: Eryq Ouithaqueue http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395875 Eryq Ouithaqueue Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395875 What, not a single "Hitchhiker's Guide" reference? What, not a single “Hitchhiker’s Guide” reference?

]]> By: Brishen Hawkins http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395864 Brishen Hawkins Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395864 It's actually cats. Once they replace crabs with cats then the world is over. It’s actually cats. Once they replace crabs with cats then the world is over.

]]> By: Kimmo http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395853 Kimmo Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395853 Would this work if you swapped the computer science team for a gaggle of marketeers, the crabs for brainwashed consumers, and the maze with an appropriately-designed shopping mall...? Would this work if you swapped the computer science team for a gaggle of marketeers, the crabs for brainwashed consumers, and the maze with an appropriately-designed shopping mall…?

]]> By: Seb http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395846 Seb Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395846 Mmm, I think these logic gates would taste better cooked in salted duck egg.  I hear they make 'em that way at Lala Chong in KL. Mmm, I think these logic gates would taste better cooked in salted duck egg.  I hear they make ‘em that way at Lala Chong in KL.

]]> By: TokenFrenchDude http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395821 TokenFrenchDude Sun, 15 Apr 2012 07:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395821 Now I've seen everything. Now I’ve seen everything.

]]> By: Joshua Frazer http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395820 Joshua Frazer Sun, 15 Apr 2012 07:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395820 My geek friends and I used to design logic gates out of various things: steam valves, mirrors, marbles, differently weighted liquids, sounds waves, springs, and others things but none of us once came up with the idea to use live animals. I think this is awesome. My geek friends and I used to design logic gates out of various things: steam valves, mirrors, marbles, differently weighted liquids, sounds waves, springs, and others things but none of us once came up with the idea to use live animals. I think this is awesome.

]]> By: CH http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395804 CH Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395804 The article linked has the reliability of the AND and OR gates the other way around: "While Gunji and co found they could build a decent OR gate using soldier crabs, their AND-gate was much less reliable. " Well, I can see how the OR gate would work better, as the crabs don't have a choice but take the "correct" gate, so it would just be a matter of if they both continue down that chute (or not) as a "ball". In an AND gate there is more choices so also more ways where it can go wrong. But... uuh... yeah.... and this was relevant computer science exactly how? To study the behaviour of Soldier Crabs... sure, I can definitely see the value in that. But computer science? Edit: And to be relevant to computer science... how on earth do you build the "NOT" type gates? Can I apply for a grant to study if I can make reliable logic gates by placing a bottle of soda and some chips at the end of corridors and make my fellow programmers make a run for it? The article linked has the reliability of the AND and OR gates the other way around:
“While Gunji and co found they could build a decent OR gate using soldier crabs, their AND-gate was much less reliable. ”

Well, I can see how the OR gate would work better, as the crabs don’t have a choice but take the “correct” gate, so it would just be a matter of if they both continue down that chute (or not) as a “ball”. In an AND gate there is more choices so also more ways where it can go wrong. But… uuh… yeah…. and this was relevant computer science exactly how? To study the behaviour of Soldier Crabs… sure, I can definitely see the value in that. But computer science? Edit: And to be relevant to computer science… how on earth do you build the “NOT” type gates?

Can I apply for a grant to study if I can make reliable logic gates by placing a bottle of soda and some chips at the end of corridors and make my fellow programmers make a run for it?

]]> By: Ian Wood http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395800 Ian Wood Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395800 It's all fun and crustacean computing until they achieve a critical mass of shelled panic then leap out of the chute and eat your face. It’s all fun and crustacean computing until they achieve a critical mass of shelled panic then leap out of the chute and eat your face.

]]> By: SedanChair http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395798 SedanChair Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395798 <blockquote>Robust Soldier Crab Ball Gate</blockquote> I bet that sounds super elegant in Japanese

Robust Soldier Crab Ball Gate

I bet that sounds super elegant in Japanese

]]> By: RJ http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395784 RJ Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395784 So this is the last practical level of Moore's Law. I thought it would involve lasers. So this is the last practical level of Moore’s Law. I thought it would involve lasers.

]]> By: jaytkay http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395779 jaytkay Sun, 15 Apr 2012 05:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395779 I think the only remaining question is - do they win the Biology Ig Nobel prize or Computer Science? I think the only remaining question is – do they win the Biology Ig Nobel prize or Computer Science?

]]> By: Kyle Buchanan http://boingboing.net/2012/04/14/logic-gates-made-of-live-crabs.html#comment-1395773 Kyle Buchanan Sun, 15 Apr 2012 05:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=154727#comment-1395773 Make one that uses ants and we're halfway to Hex. Make one that uses ants and we’re halfway to Hex.

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