The World's Largest Computer in 1951

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the ENIAC, the world's first general-purpose electronic computer, which stood 10 feet tall, occupied 1,000 square feet, and weighed approximately 30 tons. It utilized over 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, 6,000 switches, and 18,000 vacuum tubes, consuming 150 kilowatts of power. Additionally, the conversation shifts to the Russian Ekranoplan, a Ground Effect Vehicle developed by Rostislav Alekseev, which could travel over 400 km/h and weighed 540 tons fully loaded. The Ekranoplan was designed for military transport and could carry over 100 tonnes of cargo.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electronic components such as resistors and capacitors
  • Familiarity with the concept of Ground Effect Vehicles
  • Knowledge of military transport technologies
  • Basic historical context of computing technology development
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the technical specifications and historical significance of the ENIAC
  • Explore the design and operational principles of Ground Effect Vehicles
  • Investigate the military applications of the Ekranoplan
  • Learn about the evolution of computing technology post-ENIAC
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for historians, technology enthusiasts, and engineers interested in the evolution of computing and transport technologies, particularly those focused on military applications and early electronic devices.

  • #811
yomamma said:
is it matches?
No, and I'm subtracting ten points for such an off-the-wall guess. (How would the color affect the reusability of matches?)
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
  • #812
Black absorbs heat. Making it easier to combust.
 
  • #813
yomamma said:
Black absorbs heat. Making it easier to combust.
Make that twenty points off.
 
  • #814
In 1841, for a variety of reasons, mostly having to do with fraudulent re-use of postage stamps, the color of the one penny was changed from black to red. The term 'Penny Stars' is often used for this incomparably complex series of stamps which were in continual production from Fed. 10, 1841 until April 1862. The complexity of this series is due, ignoring at least 20 distinct shades color shades, not only to the hundreds of plates used for printing, but to that fact that 2 master dies, both imperforate and perforate issues (2 gauges as well as experimental perforations), 2 watermarks (and 2 varieties of one) and 4 fonts (alphabets) as well as various combinations were used for these stamps.

Anyone who wants to give one can, I'm leaving for a few hours.
 
  • #815
a gender-specified toy still is in existence today which was invented in 1959. Named after inventor's daughter

1) what was the invention?
2)who was the inventor?
3) who was the inventor's daughter?
 
  • #816
no, stupid. GOOGLE!
 
  • #817
Barbie Doll
Ruth Handler
Barbara
 
  • #818
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
  • #819
zoobyshoe said:
Barbie Doll
Ruth Handler
Barbara
Good job I;m going to bed
 
  • #820
yomamma said:
no, stupid. GOOGLE!
Hmm, so now "google" is a verb neogalism too. :bugeye:
 
  • #821
Mk said:
Hmm, so now "google" is a verb neogalism too. :bugeye:
Conjugated thus:

singular
I google
You google
He/She/It googles

plural
We google
You google
They google
 
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  • #822
Ok, I'll have another go since nobody else has for a while.


This man might have needed a poultry excuse to leave his job at Marconi in order to develop his 1956 invention.
 
  • #823
The hard disk drive was invented in 1956
 
  • #824
yomamma said:
The hard disk drive was invented in 1956


So was Play-Doh, but you need to think about the clues, and use google as a reference rather than a brute-force answer getterer.

Here's another clue: I don't often make spelling mistakes accidentally, re-read my last post.
 
  • #825
brewnog said:
I don't often make spelling mistakes accidentally, re-read my last post.
My first thought upon seeing it was Col. Saunders, but I wouldn't expect a Brit to ask that.
 
  • #826
Nope, but Col. Sanders' product would give you a clue as to the inventor of this thing.
 
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  • #827
OMG! Is it the rubber chicken?!?
 
  • #828
Dear god, no. It's cleverer than that, much cleverer.
 
  • #829
The turkey pan?
 
  • #830
Sigh...
 
  • #831
brewnog said:
Sigh...
Oh, wait! It's the vegetable turkey! Evo has one on the next thread down.
 
  • #832
It's *sigh* not sigh...
 
  • #833
Danger said:
Oh, wait! It's the vegetable turkey! Evo has one on the next thread down.

Sorry Dange. No cigar.

yomamma said:
It's *sigh* not sigh...

No, it was definitely said aloud...
 
  • #834
then how 'bout this?

*"sigh"*...

The turkey baster?
 
  • #835
Ok, you're really not getting this.

The invention isn't food related.

The inventor has a tenuous connection with Col. Sanders' meat of choice.
 
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  • #836
The incubator?!

I know I'm making this harder than I should

and it's sanders' not sander's
 
  • #837
Automatic chicken-plucker?
 
  • #838
yomamma said:
The incubator?!
No.
I know I'm making this harder than I should

and it's sanders' not sander's

So it is, sorry. This honey liqueur is obviously a bit better than I'd thought...
 
  • #839
ooh!ohh!

the chicken?
 
  • #840
Danger said:
Automatic chicken-plucker?

Nope. The invention has nothing to do with chickens.
 

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