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.

  • #1,171
denali national park? with glaciers kahiltna Muldrow and ruth?
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
  • #1,172
Specifically, "Glaciers of Denali." S'where I want to be right now.
 
  • #1,173
Oh no, yomamma's up...
 
  • #1,174
That was only a stop-gap. StatutoryApe has an opportunity here...


we're waiting...

...jeez, I bet another forty pages go by as soon as I go to sleep.
 
  • #1,175
Oh sorry... I had to leave work.
Lets see... This should be an easy one.

It is a plastic capsule containing nitrogen and is an acutrament to the packaging of a particular food product. What is it called and what is the name of the food product?
 
  • #1,176
What's an "acutrament"?
 
  • #1,177
Widget
Guinness Beer
 
  • #1,178
That should have been 'accoutrement', meaning 'accessory'.

The thingy in the question could be a beer widget (I've seen it only in some beers though).
 
  • #1,179
rachmaninoff said:
What's an "acutrament"?
He has simply misspelled "accoutrement".
 
  • #1,180
Oh, nevermind...this thread is crazy fast...
 
  • #1,181
Ivan got it.
And sorry about the misspelling. That's what I get for using google for a spell check.
 
  • #1,182
TheStatutoryApe said:
And sorry about the misspelling.
"Accoutrement" is a very commonly used word in the Northeast US. Do you have origins there?
 
  • #1,183
Over 27,000 of these led the monk to the new laws. Genesis 1:20-27.
 
  • #1,184
Ivan Seeking said:
Over 27,000 of these led the monk to the new laws. Genesis 1:20-27.
The monk would be Gregor Mendel, the new laws; the laws of inheritence, or genetics, but I don't know what the 27,000 refers to. (The Genesis clue didn't help with that, that I can see.)
 
  • #1,185
Yesssssssss...
 
  • #1,186
Ivan Seeking said:
Yesssssssss...
But what numbered 27,000?
 
  • #1,187
The Genesis passage is obviously the opposite view to the "new laws". Were there 27,000 pea plants ?
 
  • #1,188
Ivan Seeking said:
Yesssssssss...
Over 27,000 ssssssssssssnakes?
 
  • #1,189
zoobyshoe said:
"Accoutrement" is a very commonly used word in the Northeast US. Do you have origins there?
No. I'm not sure where I picked it up. I also spell colour with a "u" among other things.

Your turn Zoob.
 
  • #1,190
TheStatutoryApe said:
No. I'm not sure where I picked it up. I also spell colour with a "u" among other things.
In NH you hear someone say "accoutrement" at least once a day in the course of normal conversation. When I left there, I found I had to drop it from my vocabulary. Most people hadn't heard the word, and the ones who had thought I was being pretentious when I threw it so casually around.
 
  • #1,191
Gokul43201 said:
Were there 27,000 pea plants ?

You are correct!
 
  • #1,192
This american designed a machine that could rule 20,000 straight lines to an inch on glass with absolute precision.
 
  • #1,193
zoobyshoe said:
This american designed a machine that could rule 20,000 straight lines to an inch on glass with absolute precision.
Fresnel? 10
 
  • #1,194
Danger said:
Fresnel? 10
Right idea. Wrong person. This man also did some elegant electrical work. Not a well known person, though.
 
  • #1,195
oooh! I think I saw this guy on TV! now I can't remember his name... :frown:

EDIT : nvm...I din't know it had to be american
 
  • #1,196
Henry A. Rowland
 
  • #1,197
TheStatutoryApe said:
Henry A. Rowland
Correct!...
 
  • #1,198
Hmmmm...

A favorite game of both Winston Churchill and Henry Kissinger.
 
  • #1,199
Diplomacy?
 
  • #1,200
Ivan Seeking said:
Diplomacy?
Correct.
I don't think I'm coming up with anything too hard here.
Your turn Ivan.
 

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