The World's Largest Computer in 1951

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around historical and technical aspects of significant machines and vehicles, including the ENIAC computer and the Russian Ekranoplan. Participants engage in a quiz-like format, posing questions and providing hints about various inventions, their specifications, and historical context.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes the ENIAC, detailing its size, weight, components, and power consumption, while noting its limited processing power compared to modern devices.
  • Another participant identifies the ENIAC as the machine described in the previous post.
  • Participants discuss a large vehicle that weighs 540 tons, can travel over land and water, and is hinted to be built in Russia, leading to speculation about its identity.
  • Some participants propose that the vehicle in question is the Russian Ekranoplan, explaining its design and operational principles related to ground effect.
  • There is a discussion about a vehicle that achieved over 188 miles per gallon, with participants speculating on its type and historical significance, including a mention of a Harley Davidson motorcycle from 1908.
  • One participant describes a crude device involving a wooden stand, a funnel, acid, and copper wire, prompting further questions about its purpose.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the identity of some machines, particularly the vehicle that achieved high fuel efficiency, as various guesses and clarifications are made. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of some inventions and their historical context.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the specifications and classifications of the vehicles discussed, particularly regarding the Ekranoplan's operational capabilities and the fuel efficiency claims of the motorcycle.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in the history of computing, engineering innovations, and the evolution of vehicle technology may find this discussion engaging.

  • #931
honestrosewater said:
Legos ...
That's it! :biggrin: Your turn.
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
  • #932
yes you can..

potatomatopatoes?
 
  • #933
Yay, finally.
You will chase this anser to a source of refreshment.

I don't mind if you google, BTW. I googled to check if the things on Legos were called studs- it's allowed unless stated otherwise, right?
 
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  • #934
running water
 
  • #935
Huckleberry said:
running water
No, but that's clever.
 
  • #936
Mirage?...
 
  • #937
Yeah, it's allowed. I try to refrain when Danger is playing though. He doesn't like it. One day when everyone has google chips in their brains Danger will be the smartest man on earth.
 
  • #938
Mk said:
Mirage?...
Nope...
 
  • #939
honestrosewater said:
Yay, finally.
You will chase this anser to a source of refreshment.

I don't mind if you google, BTW. I googled to check if the things on Legos were called studs- it's allowed unless stated otherwise, right?
I'll need one hint to solve this. I think.
 
  • #940
Huckleberry said:
Yeah, it's allowed. I try to refrain when Danger is playing though. He doesn't like it.
I don't mind if someone has a pretty good idea and wants to double-check, although I won't do it myself. (If I did, I would have gotten the damned hovercraft question. :frown: )

Huckleberry said:
One day when everyone has google chips in their brains Danger will be the smartest man on earth.
That would pretty well put an end to game shows, so maybe it's not such a bad idea. (Except for 'Jeapardy', of course. I love that one.)
 
  • #941
Clue: What's good for the female is good for the male.

Okay, but this pretty much gives it away. I'm a careful speller.

You will chase this anser to a source of refreshment.
 
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  • #942
honestrosewater said:
Clue: What's good for the female is good for the male.
Well, I know that anser is a goose genus, but I did think that it was a typo until you said otherwise. And the goose and gander thing is clear enough. What I don't know is what the wild goose chase is about. Unless you just mean a lake or something.

I got to go to sleep now. I'll check back tomorrow afternoon.
 
  • #944
Mk said:
Yeah, its either a lake, a bar, or the Himalayas. Strange combination?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar-headed_Goose
Yes, you will chase a Bar-headed goose (a.k.a anser indicus) to a source of refreshment (a bar- the bar it's headed to... er um yeah). Eh, I could have done worse. :-p
 
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  • #945
You know what? That was really freakin stupid, and unsolvable due to technical limitations. (my last one I'm overwriting) I'll think of another.

honestrosewater: I liked yours, it was clever and creative.
 
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  • #946
Mk said:
honestrosewater: I liked yours, it was clever and creative.
Ah, my genius is appreciated at last! I thought it was a real challenge to the non-googlers, but they must like a challenge anyway ;)
 
  • #947
This one Evo might get if she comes quick enough:

Franzbear is walking in a forest and comes a clearing, where she/he/it sees a person. Franzbear is terrified, and lost, after going down that wooden rollercoaster. She asks the person where she is and he replies: Kanguru. Franzbear stands there and looks at him befuddled, and feels even more lost than before. Franzbear shoots him, then jumps off a nearby cliff, because Franzbear is seemingly random. What country is Franzbear in, and of what heritage is the person Franzbear asks?
 
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  • #948
I would guess the googlers will get this one before someone that doesn't have to does.
 
  • #949
Sorry, had to go.

Eratosthenes

Close enough. I was thinking of the shadow that was seen in the well at Alexandria, near the the library, but not in a deep vertical well near Syene (now Aswan), in southern Egypt, which is what clued him in.
 
  • #950
Mk said:
What country is Franzbear in, and of what heritage is the person Franzbear asks?
I would expect Australia and Aboriginal.
 
  • #951
Danger said:
I would expect Australia and Aboriginal.
I happen to know this is the correct anser. Your turn.
 
  • #952
Franzbear is Cap'n Cook, I take it ?

Chew on this till Danger wakes up...

In the autumn of 1789, Dr. Jo pleaded for the use of this thing on grounds of humanity and "equality". What was it ?
 
  • #953
Gokul43201 said:
In the autumn of 1789, Dr. Jo pleaded for the use of this thing on grounds of humanity and "equality". What was it ?
Would "Jo" be short for "Joseph"? And would this have anything to do with Robespierre's reign of terror during the French Revolution?
 
  • #954
zoobyshoe said:
Would "Jo" be short for "Joseph"? And would this have anything to do with Robespierre's reign of terror during the French Revolution?
aye and aye...anser up and go next.
 
  • #955
Gokul43201 said:
aye and aye...
Oh. In that case I have no idea.
 
  • #956
...and I thought this was was going to go down quick and easy; you know, no pain at all !
 
  • #957
Gokul43201 said:
...and I thought this was was going to go down quick and easy; you know, no pain at all !
I have no idea what this joke about decapitation means.

During the conflict, he sometimes resorted to using old window panes.
 
  • #958
zoobyshoe said:
Oh. In that case I have no idea.
You certainly better be kidding there... :bugeye:

edit: Never mind; your next posts came up while I was writing that. :redface:
 
  • #959
zoobyshoe said:
During the conflict, he sometimes resorted to using old window panes.
This is not related to Gokul's quetion. It is a new clue altogether.
 
  • #960
zoobyshoe said:
During the conflict, he sometimes resorted to using old window panes.
This is not the guy that came up with DDT, is it ? I think not...and I'm off.

BTW, the previous anser, as unansered by Zoob, was the guillotine.
 

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