The World's Largest Computer in 1951

  • Thread starter Thread starter wolram
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Computer
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around two significant machines: the ENIAC, an early computer that was 10 feet tall, weighed 30 tons, and required 150 kilowatts of power, and the Russian Ekranoplan, a ground effect vehicle that could travel over 400 km/h and weighed 540 tons. The ENIAC utilized a vast number of electronic components but had less processing power than a modern pocket calculator. The Ekranoplan, developed by the Soviet Union, operates just above water using a shock wave principle, allowing it to travel over various terrains. The conversation also touches on trivia and historical facts about these machines, highlighting their unique engineering and capabilities. Overall, the thread showcases a blend of technical details and engaging quiz-like interactions.
  • #151
You're up with one additional credit Zooby.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #152
Invented "by mistake", this item resulted when importer Mr. Sullivan tried to find a cheap alternative to sending samples of his product to his customers in tins. The customers misunderstood how his alternate packaging was to be used. 1904

edit:spelling
 
Last edited:
  • #153
Bottles!

cookiemonster
 
  • #154
cookiemonster said:
Bottles!
Sorry, cookiemonster. Hint: he wanted something cheaper than tins.
 
  • #155
toilet paper.
 
  • #156
Ivan Seeking said:
toilet paper.
As good a guess as any, but no. Credit for that foundation of the first world goes all the way back to Mrs. Oock, who first began speculating about a pile of leaves she noticed while...no need to go into it.
 
  • #157
Bottle caps?

cookiemonster
 
  • #158
cookiemonster said:
Bottle caps?
Sorry, cookie monster. Hint: by tin I mean a box made of thin sheet metal. Sullivan created an alternative packaging to the tin, that was cheaper, but whose use was misunderstood by the customers to whom he sent samples. He decided the customer was always right and "this" was born.
 
Last edited:
  • #159
zoobyshoe said:
Invented "by mistake", this item resulted when importer Mr. Sullivan tried to find a cheap alternative to sending samples of his product to his customers in tins. The customers misunderstood how his alternate packaging was to be used. 1904

Umm, condoms?
 
  • #160
cragwolf said:
Umm, condoms?
ROFL! No. That would be quite a misunderstanding, wouldn't it?
 
  • #161
tea bags, origonaly made from silk.
 
  • #162
hmmm wild stab in the dark... plastic?? what did Mr. Sullivan do anyway?
 
  • #163
maybe the same as A MAZDA. was and is.
 
  • #164
wolram said:
tea bags, origonaly made from silk.
CORRECT! Instead of removing the tea from the silk bags, the customers placed the whole bag into the teapot and poured hot water over it. The tea bag was born.
 
  • #165
isn't it crazy how one can remember irrelevant trivia, well
i half remembered this one but admit i had to google to
retrieve the facts
 
  • #166
wolram said:
isn't it crazy how one can remember irrelevant trivia, well
i half remembered this one but admit i had to google to
retrieve the facts
I thought this question was incredibly easy, strangly enough. Loose tea is still sold in tins, so I thought people could follow the train of logic to the tea bag without knowing anything about the actual origin of it. I guess there aren't many tea drinkers here.

Your turn, Wolram.
 
  • #167
maybe the same as A MAZDA. was and is.
 
  • #168
that's your clue? :confused:
 
  • #169
wolram said:
maybe the same as A MAZDA. was and is.
Yes, your clue is quite obscure, but I'll take a stab at it and assume you're looking for other vehicles that have a wankel engine. So it might be one of the following:

NSU spider
Re80
Citroen
Chevy Corvette
Mercedes benz
 
  • #170
that's your clue?
well how easy do you want me make it? BGn
 
  • #171
clue 2.
he who covers, water.
 
  • #172
Yes, your clue is quite obscure, but I'll take a stab at it and assume you're looking for other vehicles that have a wankel engine. So it might be one of the following:

NSU spider
Re80
Citroen
Chevy Corvette
Mercedes benz
-------------------------------------------
as in mr A MAZDA
 
  • #173
The Azram dam! or however it is spelt ...isnt is Aswan? damn!
 
  • #174
The Azram dam! or however it is spelt ...isnt is Aswan? damn!
sorry jimmy.
MAZDA leads to the who was, and to the thing ,that is miles and miles
and miles away.
 
  • #175
wolram said:
MAZDA leads to the who was, and to the thing ,that is miles and miles
and miles away.
OK. I found out that Ahura Mazda is zoroastrian for "wise lord" or a character from Also Sprach Zarathustra, so this is some kind of mystical thing.
 
  • #176
ok you just have to find another name for Ahura Mazda
to find the distant thing.
 
  • #177
Temple Of Zoroaster?
 
  • #178
its not earthly, only its namesake
 
  • #179
Hmm, other names for Ahura Mazda were Ormazd, which evolved to Ormuzd. Long after, Ormuzd morphed to Hormuz, though I don't know if the diety was ever called this by worshippers.
Njorl
 
  • #180
Ah, Hindus who were converted in the heyday of the Persian Empire associated Ahura Mazda with Varuna. In the early vedic days, Varuna was the keeper of the celestial waters.
 
  • #181
...and it seems Varuna is a large Kuiper belt object, nearly as large as Pluto.

Njorl
 
  • #182
Njorl,
you are correct, its a new hobby of mine to associate
celestial bodies with their name sake
 
  • #183
Njorl,
have you a question? that is within the bounds of thread
participants ken :biggrin:
 
  • #184
Oh yeah. Umm...
 
  • #185
Contrary to what the name implies, it was made of birch. It was the largest of it's kind ever made. I have a couple hints ready, but this might be enough.

Njorl
 
  • #186
Njorl said:
Contrary to what the name implies, it was made of birch. It was the largest of it's kind ever made. I have a couple hints ready, but this might be enough.

Njorl

The "Spruce Goose"?
 
  • #187
I guess you won't need those hints after all.

Yep.

Njorl
 
  • #188
do you have one LURCH?
 
  • #189
this wheel has a diameter of 72 feet 6 inches, (over 22 metres), and a width of 6 feet.
 
  • #190
London Eye (the millenium wheel thingy)
 
  • #191
good guess jimmy p , but this wheel is much older
 
  • #192
wolram said:
this wheel has a diameter of 72 feet 6 inches, (over 22 metres), and a width of 6 feet.

That's that big water wheel in Europe, Isabelle I think it's called.

I like big machines! :biggrin:

Today's clocks are read by site. By what sense did one tell time in early (c. 18th century) Chinese homes?
 
  • #193
http://www.isle-of-man.com/information/lwheel.htm

i should take umbrage with you for saying EUROPE
but i forgive you :biggrin:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #194
Today's clocks are read by site. By what sense did one tell time in early (c. 18th century) Chinese homes?
i know the chinese had a facination for birds, and i think
some of their clocks had birds tweet the time
 
  • #195
wolram said:
i know the chinese had a facination for birds, and i think some of their clocks had birds tweet the time
And so...by what sense would the chinese have sensed the time?
 
  • #196
wolram said:
i know the chinese had a facination for birds, and i think
some of their clocks had birds tweet the time

Nope, not by hearing. But you are correct in that properly identifying the device will give the sense.
 
  • #197
Aha! Sense of smell! The Chinese would speak of lumps of time as "the time it takes to burn a stick of incense."
 
  • #198
Amateur electrical experimentor, Benjamin Franklin, nearly killed himself with electricity once. Not, however, when he flew a kite during an electrical storm, but when he was walking holding two charged Leyden jars, on his way to do what?
 
Last edited:
  • #199
cook a turkey
 
  • #200
wolram said:
cook a turkey
So close, and yet so far. That isn't the specific task he was on his way to perform when he shocked himself. It was, indeed, thanksgiving day, however, and a turkey was to be cooked that day, which is a hint.
 

Similar threads

Is Alan Turing given too much credit when it comes to computers?
Replies
29
Views
5K
How to compute flexure and failure loads of acrylic sheets
Replies
4
Views
15K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top