Richard J. Ridel's all-wooden, mechanical Turing machine uses the smallest set of data elements capable of computing any calculation: 0, 1 and blank; it was inspired by Ridel's viewing of The Imitation Game.
There are a number
of issues that need mentioning.
I did not build a safeguard into the
Writing Wires. Things will
break if the machine attempts to write a ‘0’ as well as a ‘1’.
And wires can migrate and drift.
The Reader Rocker basically floats when reading a ‘0’. It could
move and present the wrong data to the back of the Configuration
Mechanism.
Build the machine so timing and throw are adjustable.
Build the machine so you can remove a part without having to
completely dismantle the entire thing.
My part names are not the most logical nor clear.
My engineering technique is not the
best, however, efficiency
and simplicity can be ignored for artistic aesthetics.
In the end, I had fun building it. And I guess that’s all that
matters.
Karl Schroeder (previously) is literally the most visionary person I know (and I've known him since 1986!): he was the first person to every mention "fractals" to me, then "the internet" and then "the web" -- there is no one, no one in my circle more ahead of more curves, and it shows in his […]
Veteran reviewer/interviewer Rick Kleffel (previously) has just posted a long podcast interview (MP3) with Neal Stephenson, discussing his latest novel, Fall; or, Dodge in Hell ("a science fiction novel with a fantasy novel stuck inside of it").
A couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled to hear Subgenius founder, the Reverend Ivan Stang, interviewed on the Comedy on Vinyl podcast (previously) and to discover that the Church of the Subgenius was selling a $35 Salvation/Membership/Ordainment kit that was chock full of goodies.
This all-in-one computing solution packs a healthy dose of processing power packed inside a 21.5″ HD LED display. It also features an Intel Core i3-2100 Dual-Core 3.1GHz CPU with 4 GB of DDR3 RAM for next-level multitasking and an impressive 250 GB SATA hard drive that can safely store your important files and media. So […]
So you cut the cord and got rid of cable? Join the steadily growing club. But while you’re out picking a streaming service, you might find one big blind spot: Local TV and sports, not to mention first-run programming from the big cable networks. Luckily, there’s a throwback way to get it for free: The […]
Even if you feel like AirPods are worth the price tag, you’ve got to admit there’s a certain anxiety that comes with using them. What if I lose them? What if they get wet in the rain? Or drenched in sweat? Or fall into the drink you dropped them into? Shiny tech is great, but […]
