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LEGO Tech Still Going Strong

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the snappy-sculptures dept.

zimage writes to tell us that Andrew Carol has designed and built a working Babbage Difference Engine out of LEGO. From the article: "Before the day of computers and pocket calculators, all mathematics was done by hand. Great effort was expended to compose trigonometric and logarithmic tables for navigation, scientific investigation, and engineering purposes. In the mid-19th century, people began to design machines to automate this error prone process. Many machines of various designs were eventually built. The most famous of these machines is the Babbage Difference Engine. [...] Babbage's design could evaluate 7th order polynomials to 31 digits of accuracy. I set out to build a working Difference Engine using LEGO parts which could compute 2nd or 3rd order polynomials to 3 or 4 digits." In related, but not quite as functional, news DigitalDame2 writes to tell us that PC Magazine has an interview with LEGO "brick-artist" Nathan Sawaya, creator of their commissioned LEGO PC. There are also several pictures of the creation in addition to a contest to win the snap-together sculpture.

14 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Amazing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sorry to be pedantic, but I think you mean "pedantic".

  2. Re:Amazing by zobier · · Score: 3, Funny
    Sorry to be pendantic but the plural of Lego is also 'Lego' and not 'Legos'*.
    Sorry to be pedantic, but I think you mean "pedantic".
    Gold. Where are the mod points when you need them?
    --
    Me lost me cookie at the disco.
  3. Re:Wow by MichaelSmith · · Score: 2, Funny
    Give this guy the geek award for the year!

    Especially since Babbage never got one of his designs to work in a complete form. Now this (partial) implementation has been thrown together out of an off the shelf toy.

    I am not sure Babbage would appreciate knowing about this.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  4. Seriously cool quote by NeoManyon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Here is a quote from the man himself which is amazingly still relevant!

    "On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?'

    I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."

    Charles Babbage (1791-1871)

    --
    Your thoughts form your reality.
    1. Re:Seriously cool quote by Belseth · · Score: 4, Funny
      "On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?'

      Is that where the saying Babbage in, Babbage out, came from?

  5. Difference Machine...pfffff by djvern · · Score: 4, Funny

    I built a Lego Turing Machine using only 1x1 blocks.

    1. Re:Difference Machine...pfffff by JakartaDean · · Score: 5, Funny
      I built a Lego Turing Machine using only 1x1 blocks.
      Is that you posting, or the Turing Machine?
      --
      The subject who is truly loyal to the Chief Magistrate will neither advise nor submit to arbitrary measures (Junius)
    2. Re:Difference Machine...pfffff by el_benito · · Score: 2, Funny

      How does is that you posting, or the Turing Machine make you feel?

      --
      http://liquidben.com - Aspiring to an 'under construction' gif
  6. Re:LEGO PC by MindInABox · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nah, probably LegOS ;)

  7. Re:Computers by Bacon+Bits · · Score: 2, Funny
    No, no, you don't understand. Your 21st century mind is interfering with the original definition of "computer".

    The job title was computer. Say you go up to one of these math people and ask them what they do: "I'm a computer. I am one who computes. I compute the answers to complex formulas for use in various tables."

    Much like one who drives is a driver, and one who monitors is a monitor. We generally don't confuse NASCAR with software that handles communication between OS and hardware, or confuse mall security officers with a CRT display, right?

    --
    The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
  8. Re:Buy Danish! by meringuoid · · Score: 5, Funny
    When you by Lego products, you help offset the Muslims in their attempt to cause damage to Denmark, and you defend freedom of speech for all of Western Civilization!

    As I understand it, Denmark's other exports consist almost exclusively of lager and bacon.

    I'm not entirely clear, then, on what a Muslim boycott of these products is supposed to achieve.

    --
    Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  9. Re:Amazing by BeardsmoreA · · Score: 5, Funny
    Too bad Babbage didn't have legos when he was trying to get funding to build his computer

    No, don't you see! It explains why the original never got completed - he ran out of red 2x4 pieces with the little holes through for cross axles!

  10. Re:Amazing by BeardsmoreA · · Score: 2, Funny
    This ranks up there with certain folk refering to the slang term for Mathematics as 'Math', when it is infact 'Maths'

    I think they're collectively called 'Americans'... There's a few around here most of the time...

  11. Re:Finally someone said it by Hognoxious · · Score: 1, Funny
    Seems the other common culture reference[1] you stick to is confusing "it's" and "its".


    [1] That's a ten dollar phrase meaning a mistake most people make, right?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."