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Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers (1953) [video]

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Re: Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers (1953) [video]

#31

Post by avar »

neurobashing wrote: post #23

my head canon is that in the Dune universe, their response to the Butlerian Jihad was to develop better and better mechanical computers; specifically, via miniaturization, down to the nanometer level. It doesn't quite work for everything (Holtzmann shields are entirely analog?) but it works well enough to map most objects to a viable analog controller made of nanometer-scale analog computers.

The ban on thinking machines in Dune has nothing to do with the mechanics by which those machines work.

For all we know (I'm ignoring Brian Herbert's fanfiction here) the predominant type of computing at the time was mechanical. In any case, it wouldn't have mattered.

Re: Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers (1953) [video]

#32

Post by ricktdotorg »

flavius29663 wrote: post #30
pmcf wrote: post #24

In 1989 I was a data systems tech on a Destroyer going through some overhaul at the shipyard in Pascagoula Mississippi. Moored right next to us was the battleship Wisconsin. Huge relic from WW2 but still going through modernization. A bunch of us that worked on combat systems got invited for a tour of their fire control systems. Wow. Just wow. All mechanical computers calculating fire control solutions for the big 16…

I remember seeing one of those computers on Wisconsin, but I only saw it after decommission, as a museum piece. Those computers are truly mind boggling, if you're reading this and you're close to Norfolk you should visit battleship Wisconsin.

same goes for being in SoCal and going to visit the USS Iowa in San Pedro. it also has similar mechanical computers, it's a fantastic day spent clambering around the ship. sometimes they do "stay overnight in the bunks" nights, I can highly recommend it!

Re: Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers (1953) [video]

#33

Post by jameshart »

zer00eyz wrote: post #8

This is a great primer on one facet of the Navy and "technology". So much of early computing has some tie back to the navy. It isn't an accident that Grace Hopper was an admiral and not a General. Much of Cray's early work is littered with "Navy" (including his transfer from Europe to the Pacific). It's a fascinating bit of WWII and Post war history that is worth exploring.

Navigation and gunnery have always been driving forces for mathematical innovation so there are often naval connections to important discoveries and inventions.

But don’t sleep on the importance of land-based artillery and military surveying and cartography as motivation too. Long range naval gunnery with these kinds of mechanical computers to take into account things like course, speed and rolling motion, was all building on earlier static land-based gunnery methods using tables and nomograms derived through complex calculations - some of Babbage’s difference engine work was calculating gunnery tables.

Re: Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers (1953) [video]

#35

Post by shagie »

teqsun wrote: post #2

Thought it was very interesting to see the precursors of modern computers and how they achieved the various mathematical functions mechanically

The Thomson (also known as Lord Kelvin of degrees K fame) tide predicting machine takes us back to the late 1800s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide-predicting_machine

One implementation of it was a notable part of WWII:

> They came to be regarded as of military strategic importance during World War I, and again during the Second World War, when the US No.2 Tide Predicting Machine, described below, was classified, along with the data that it produced, and used to predict tides for the D-Day Normandy landings and all the island landings in the Pacific War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide-Predicting_Machine_No._2

From Veritasium : The Most Powerful Computers You've Never Heard Of - the tide calculator plays a prominent part of the video. https://youtu.be/IgF3OX8nT0w (the next video is also in the same topic - Future Computers Will Be Radically Different https://youtu.be/GVsUOuSjvcg and that gets into more modern implementations and uses - https://the-analog-thing.org is the device shown in the video).

Re: Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers (1953) [video]

#38

Post by gausswho »

ape4 wrote: post #36
PKop wrote: post #34

"Obviously, computer accuracy depends on the quality of the information it receives". So true.

Low quality received, poor accuracy out.

Made me look up the origin of 'garbage in garbage out. Interesting that GIGO descends from LIFO and FIFO.

Re: Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers (1953) [video]

#39

Post by Loughla »

pmcf wrote: post #24

In 1989 I was a data systems tech on a Destroyer going through some overhaul at the shipyard in Pascagoula Mississippi. Moored right next to us was the battleship Wisconsin. Huge relic from WW2 but still going through modernization. A bunch of us that worked on combat systems got invited for a tour of their fire control systems. Wow. Just wow. All mechanical computers calculating fire control solutions for the big 16…

My uncle was on the Wisconsin and operated the big guns during the first Gulf war.

I never really had context as a kid for how large that ship is, and was just astounded by the distances they would shell.

Re: Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers (1953) [video]

#40

Post by teqsun »

ricktdotorg wrote: post #32
flavius29663 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember seeing one of those computers on Wisconsin, but I only saw it after decommission, as a museum piece. Those computers are truly mind boggling, if you're reading this and you're close to Norfolk you should visit battleship Wisconsin.

same goes for being in SoCal and going to visit the USS Iowa in San Pedro. it also has similar mechanical computers, it's a fantastic day spent clambering around the ship. sometimes they do "stay overnight in the bunks" nights, I can highly recommend it!

For anyone along the Northeastern corridor, the USS New Jersey in Camden is another well-preserved Iowa class museum ship.
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