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.

  • #1,831
Wait- molasses? That can't be right. :confused:
 
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  • #1,833
Oh, yeah, and:
Sulphured molasses is made from green (unripe) sugar cane and is treated with sulphur fumes during the sugar extraction process.
...
The non-sugar content includes many salts such as calcium, potassium, oxalate and chloride.
...
Molasses is a chelating agent. An object coated with iron rust placed for two weeks in a mixture of one part molasses to nine parts water will lose its rust due to the chelating action of the molasses
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molasses
I think that's the strangest one yet.

I actually happened to see Indian pudding made today at Durgin Park in Boston. Indian pudding is made with molasses.
 
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  • #1,834
Many think he's fantastic, but he might prefer to be called fabulous.
 
  • #1,835
honestrosewater said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A613045

I guess I wasn't far off with the dam failure. :rolleyes:

:biggrin:

Also:
The Terror of the Scene
I went to original newspaper articles to find out what it was like. Envision a disaster scene with smashed buildings, overturned vehicles, drowned and crushed victims, and terrified survivors running away covered in molasses. Like the modern-day disasters with which we are unfortunately familiar, there was chaos, terror, buildings in ruins, victims to be dug out, trapped survivors to be rescued, rescue workers among the victims, and anguished families rushing to relief centers to find their relatives. It was like any horrible disaster scene, with the addition that everything was covered in smelly sticky brown molasses.

http://edp.org/bin/molasses77103S.jpg

But get this!
Before the explosion, the tank's owner, U.S. Industrial Alcohol, responded to warnings about structural problems with the tank by painting it brown, making it harder to see the molasses leaking out of the tank. (Stephen Puleo, Dark Tide (Boston: Beacon Press, 2003): 70-71.)
Hours after the explosion, a company lawyer was on the scene falsely blaming others for the disaster. (Ibid, 112-113.)
http://edp.org/molasses.htm
 
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  • #1,836
honestrosewater said:
Many think he's fantastic, but he might prefer to be called fabulous.
Why, thank you. So are you.
 
  • #1,837
honestrosewater said:
Many think he's fantastic, but he might prefer to be called fabulous.

Elton John?
 
  • #1,838
honestrosewater said:
Many think he's fantastic, but he might prefer to be called fabulous.
seve ballesteros?
 
  • #1,839
Nope. This guy was in Mallrats.
 
  • #1,840
Rat cave=dogcave
 
  • #1,841
Stan Lee.

.
 
  • #1,842
hitssquad said:
Stan Lee.

.
Very nice. I've read that he wanted to call the Fantastic Four the Fabulous Four, but I'm not sure if it's true.
 
  • #1,843
So hitssquad, you are up to post a question.
 
  • #1,844
OK. I need a little while to think.
 
  • #1,845
Beggar the least.
 
  • #1,846
hitssquad said:
Beggar the least.
Is that the clue?
 
  • #1,847
Yes. Its name is alliterate.
 
  • #1,848
Related image:

imageclue12.jpg
 
  • #1,849
Another related image:

imageclue13.jpg
 
  • #1,850
And another one:

imageclue14.jpg
 
  • #1,851
And another 'nother one:

imageclue15.jpg
 
  • #1,852
MandM.jpg
 
  • #1,853
Eminem-point-l-poster.jpg
 
  • #1,854
imageclue16.jpg
 
  • #1,855
imageclue17.jpg
 
  • #1,856
imageclue18.jpg
 
  • #1,857
hitssquad said:
Yes. Its name is alliterate.
Two or more words beginning with the letter "M".


What is puzzling me the most is the initial clue: "Beggar the least." I have no idea what to make of it.
 
  • #1,858
zoobyshoe said:
Two or more
Two. Eminem's name is Marshall Mathers, not Marshall Mathers Muthers or Marshall Mathers Muthers Mithers (in which cases his name more appropriately might have been Emineminem or Eminemineminem, respectively).



words beginning with the letter "M".
 
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  • #1,859
Are those paintings of the winter of 1708 and 1709?
 
  • #1,860
Ivan Seeking said:
Are those paintings of the winter of 1708 and 1709?
No, they are not. Those four paintings are all by the same painter, and he died before 1708.
 

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