Comments on: Apple chap knocks up ancient Lego computer

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:54:11 +0000

That is incredible. It says something about the evolution of human knowledge that someone was able to say ‘Building such a device seems like it would be a rather trivial task’.
This is exactly why it is amazing – not only did the ancient Greeks achieve a feat that was 1,600 years ahead of time, but the modern world can replicate it with a CHILD’S TOY. Using maths that is widespread knowledge.
What was once the domain of the greatest thinkers of the time is now a high-school project.

Cor blimey. I used to love building gearboxes out of lego. Wish I had thought of this.

Next – Babbage’s Engine, made of spaghetti and matches.

By: whodat

whodat — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 03:43:26 +0000

lately i’ve become totally fascinated with the realization that every modern day creature comfort has some form of analog mechanical, and later electro-mechanical, ancestor. becoming aware of these precursory technologies, shwooo, just does wonders for the imagination.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 03:14:08 +0000

Julien, it is the inception-type dramatic music that makes it look impressive. And the fact that people from 800BC knew how to calculate such things.

By: fearglic

fearglic — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:23:26 +0000

nonsense!!

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:45:52 +0000

Best I’ve ever done is a big long continuous tower of lego until I run out of legos to build with.

By: Matty

Matty — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:43:29 +0000

*Accidentally puts a piece in the wrong place*
*Tries to take said piece out*
*Whole thing collapses*
FFFFUUUUUUUUU-

By: roz

roz — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 15:30:39 +0000

knocks it up??? i believe this is the first known case of cybermiscegeny! :0

By: Nelson

Nelson — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 14:50:54 +0000

This is quite an impressive thing.

(Cheers on the blog by the way, it’s really one of the few I actually care enough about to read regularly)

By: Julien S.-R.

Julien S.-R. — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 13:35:16 +0000

Building such a device seems like it would be a rather trivial task for anyone with strong math skills and a basic understanding of gears. Isn’t it just doing some very simple modular arithmetic? The video makes it seem so dramatic… perhaps I’m missing something.

By: Raymond

Raymond — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 09:41:19 +0000

I can’t stop wondering how many gears there must be in my MacBook…