LEGO: Unlocking Limitless Creative Possibilities

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the creative possibilities of using LEGO for various projects, including educational applications, digital computing models, and physics demonstrations. Participants share their experiences and thoughts on LEGO constructions and related technologies.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express enthusiasm for LEGO projects as educational tools.
  • One participant mentions a YouTube video showcasing a 2-bit digital computer made from LEGO, comparing it favorably to other projects.
  • A participant shares their experience of creating a game within a document using Apple OpenDoc, highlighting the concept of games within games.
  • Discussion includes a mention of Schmidt couplings and their functionality, with some participants exploring the mechanics behind them.
  • There is a debate about the nature of a virtual PC built inside Minecraft, with some participants clarifying that it involves a mod rather than a physical construction.
  • One participant expresses interest in sharing their own LEGO apparatuses for physics demonstrations in the future.
  • Humor is present in the discussion regarding justifications for purchasing LEGO kits for work or family.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share enthusiasm for LEGO projects, but there are competing views regarding the definition and nature of a virtual PC in Minecraft, leading to some unresolved points about the technology involved.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the functionality of Schmidt couplings and the specifics of virtual machines in Minecraft depend on technical definitions that are not fully explored in the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in educational tools, creative engineering projects, digital computing models, and physics demonstrations may find this discussion relevant.

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TL;DR
Video of a Lego project featuring many gearing solutions.
 
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Yeah, saw this. Super cool.
Would make a neat educational project.
 
I saw another one where the youtuber recreated a 2 bit digital computer with lego parts modeled on the 1960's Digicomp I toy computer.

But this one definitely takes home the prize for beautiful lego design and beautiful videography.
 
jedishrfu said:
I saw another one where the youtuber recreated a 2 bit digital computer with lego parts modeled on the 1960's Digicomp I toy computer.
< digression >
Some guy built a working virtual PC inside Minecraft.

Which is cool enough, but he can actually have the virtual PC run a game of Minecraft, and play Minecraft within Minecraft.

IncepMinecrafttion! :spooky hands:

< /digression >
 
Nice, I did something similar years ago at work. We were working on Apple Opendoc porting it to IBM OS/2.

Its key feature was the ability to embed parts into a document. I built a tictactoe part where each square was a tictactoe part basically creating games within games within games. A win of an embedded game resulted in winning an X or O for the square.

I won an internal award for it as one of the top five OpenDoc parts out of a total field of 5 competitors.
 
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The first one is a Schmidt coupling. It's an actual useful product for applications such as driving a roll that needs to move while under load: https://www.zero-max.com/aca-schmidt-offset-shaft-couplings. Screen shot from the Zero-Max link:
Schmidt coupling.jpg

Their largest catalog coupling is rated for 459,000 in-lbs (51,900 Nm) torque.

Interesting factoid about them: They only work when misaligned - when the shafts are offset by a minimum amount.
 
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jrmichler said:
Interesting factoid about them: They only work when misaligned - when the shafts are offset by a minimum amount.
I suppose that makes sense if you think about it.

If I tried to spin a bicycle wheel using a broomstick handle, I would have a tough time starting it spinning if I stuck it in too close to the axle. Not enough leverage. I'd move father out.
 
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DaveC426913 said:
Some guy built a working virtual PC inside Minecraft.
Not really. There is a Minecraft mod which wraps VirtualBox so you can run a virtual machine inside Minecraft, but that is not a PC built inside Minecraft.

It's a bit like calling one of these a Raspberry Pi built out of Lego https://thepihut.com/products/blox-raspberry-pi-case

Edit: I would call this a computer built inside Minecraft:
And this a computer built from Lego
 
pbuk said:
Not really. There is a Minecraft mod which wraps VirtualBox so you can run a virtual machine inside Minecraft, but that is not a PC built inside Minecraft.

It's a bit like calling one of these a Raspberry Pi built out of Lego https://thepihut.com/products/blox-raspberry-pi-case
Ok. I may have to take your word for it. I thought this guy had literally built an operating PC with memory and all in the Minecraft world.
 
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I have constructed many LEGO apparatuses for physics demonstrations. I am thinking about writing about them in english and share on the forum in the future :)
 
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DaveC426913 said:
Ok. I may have to take your word for it. I thought this guy had literally built an operating PC with memory and all in the Minecraft world.
Yes this does exist: Chungus 2 (Computation Humongous Unconventional Number and Graphics Unit) has an 8 bit CPU and 256 bytes of RAM: this is not enough for Minecraft.

There are also a number of "minigames" that have been built in Minecraft including a 32x32 pixel sort-of version of Minecraft: https://codecrafted.net/#/r/minigame/452, but this is all custom built, it is not a virtual machine running Minecraft.
 
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  • #12
malawi_glenn said:
I have constructed many LEGO apparatuses for physics demonstrations. I am thinking about writing about them in english and share on the forum in the future :)
Damn, that would be cool. Signing up.

Also: heaven is bringing home a stack of LEGO kits and saying "Sorry honey, it's for work. 🤷 whaddyagonnado!"
 
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Thats been my excuse. Or for the grandkids.
 
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