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Simple Computation Using Dominos

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the houses-of-cards dept.

An anonymous reader writes "When silicon fails to beat Moores law, maybe dominos can help. This guy has created a half adder in dominos as a proof of concept for domino computation. If he intends to make a full domino computer he's going to need an awful lot of dominos."

19 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. Yes but... by MrNaz · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was going to say "Yea but does it run Linux?", but I thought I could avoid the resulting -1 Redundant mod down to hell by saying "Yea, but are there Vista drivers for it?" instead.

    --
    I hate printers.
    1. Re:Yes but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Gee, let me try:

      I was going to say "I wonder if their web server is running on dominos... which fell over already"

      "Another crippling bombshell: Netcraft confirms it, domino computers are falling over"

      "Imagine a cluster of dominos standing on end, ready to fall over"

      "I don't see what you like about OS X. My falling dominos copied a large file in seconds, while my OS X machine has been grinding away for the past 30 years"

      "In Soviet Russia, *you* fall over"

      "dominos: naked and covered in grits" (if you don't get this one, you must be new here... you insensitive clod)

      <meta>Let me be just get it out of the way: here are all the tired Slashdot cliche jokes done in one post</meta> (itself a tired joke! and pointing it out is tired too! come to think of it, I'm tired.)

    2. Re:Yes but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      But of course. It's called Doominos. In fact, in Doominos 3 id left an easter egg in it. It reveals the answer to life, the Universe, and everything.

      On the very last level of the game, as you descend the candlelit cavern toward the final boss, take a left at the fork in the path. Find the id Software logo in the back corner. Approach and click your mouse button on the id logo. You'll hear a distinctive "beep" sound. A nearby wall opens to reveal a hidden chamber. The PDA on the altar simply reads "42".

    3. Re:Yes but... by aldo.gs · · Score: 4, Funny

      1. Try to cite every tired joke.
      2. Miss this one.
      3. ????
      4. Profit!

    4. Re:Yes but... by AndroidCat · · Score: 4, Funny

      Just wait until they get it all setup for a run, go to lunch, and come back to find that Schrodinger's Cat might have been in the room!

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  2. Conceptually, it reminds me of by TheCouchPotatoFamine · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A turing version of conway's game of life. But on reflection, if the "dominos" were something like charged nanotubes, then the creation of computing structures could be "grown" in a much different way then current cpu's, kind of think that's neat.

    --
    CS majors know the time/space tradeoff, but they never get taught the 3rd, crucial, tradeoff of the set: comprehension!
    1. Re:Conceptually, it reminds me of by QuantumG · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Would you happen to know what the biggest grid of conway ever simulated is? and for how long? I was trying to find stats on this a month or so ago..

      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
    2. Re:Conceptually, it reminds me of by d34thm0nk3y · · Score: 4, Interesting

      According to here:

      Andrzej Okrasinski has found a new methuselah record holder, a 15 bit intial pattern with a final population of 1623 after 29053 generations. David Bell quickly found a 13 cell predecessor, bringing the record to 29055.

  3. Domino Logic by TheSexican · · Score: 4, Informative

    This really isn't such an interesting story at all. There is, in fact, a type of CMOS logic called Domino Logic. So nothing really suprising then.

    --
    Hey, guys. Big gulps, huh? Cool. All right! Well, see ya later.
    1. Re:Domino Logic by kevinmc · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Here's another site with an explanation of domino logic using real dominos: http://www.pinkandaint.com/oldhome/comp/dominoes/i ndex.html

  4. Re:Slight problem.. by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Funny

    they're one use only gates

    Nonesense, they're perfectly reusable! You only need to watch out for a metastability period* of 10 minutes between clocks.

    * To reset the dominos, of course.
    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  5. Rebooting... by Anubis350 · · Score: 4, Funny

    No matter how fast he could ever make, rebooting is gonna be one PITA!

    --
    "goodbye and hello, as always" ~Prince Corwin, from Zelazny's Amber series
  6. Videos on YouTube by ikegami · · Score: 5, Informative

    The site might be down, but the videos are on YouTubte

    inputs = 0 & 1
    inputs = 1 & 0
    inputs = 1 & 1

    1. Re:Videos on YouTube by bidule · · Score: 4, Funny


      WTF! You slashdotted YouTube!

      --
      ID: the nose did not occur naturally, how would we wear glasses otherwise? (apologies to Voltaire)
    2. Re:Videos on YouTube by UbuntuDupe · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And now, I'm going to say something really stupid, and I don't quite understand why what I'm about to say is stupid. Here goes:

      "He didn't build a domino computer, he just has a domino setup whose results under one interpretation coincide with what a half-adder gives you. It's trivial to build any kind of mechanism that can do this."

      Now, rhetorically bitch-slap me.

      --
      Apology to Ubuntu forum.
  7. It explains Notes by Ritchie70 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I didn't realize that Notes servers use real Dominoes, it explains their awful performance and quirkiness.

    --
    The preferred solution is to not have a problem.
  8. Solves for x in 30 minutes or less by Teresita · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm afraid this will open up a half-adder gap with the Deep South. In Alabama, it's illegal to play dominoes on Sunday. (www.dumblaws.com)

  9. He Cheated! by haakondahl · · Score: 5, Informative

    Watch the 1+1 video, and you'll see that the stacked dominoes are actually glued together! No fair!


    Details: His right hand pushes over a domino chain which knocks out a link needed to complete the left-hand output. But in order to reach the chain for the left-hand output, he crosses the chain for the right-hand output, which then has a gap. This gap is bridged by GLUING a yellow domino on top of a red one, on top of a blue one.

    --
    Don't trust anyone under thirty.
  10. You forgot one by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let me be just get it out of the way: here are all the tired Slashdot cliche jokes done in one post (itself a tired joke! and pointing it out is tired too! come to think of it, I'm tired.)
    Rest
    Cancel or Allow?
    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!