Timeline for Could computing be developed in a pre-refining society?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
14 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Sep 13, 2021 at 18:13 | vote | accept | neph | ||
| Sep 13, 2021 at 18:12 | history | edited | neph | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Nov 19, 2014 at 17:41 | comment | added | Culyx | I wonder about the use of raw copper (no refining required) for simple electric systems. Copper is easily shaped with tools and I would guess that pre-refining impurities would only result in minor inefficiencies. | |
| Nov 18, 2014 at 17:26 | comment | added | Pedro Rolo | The mechanical computers were already here thousands of years ago: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacus | |
| Oct 20, 2014 at 16:40 | comment | added | superluminary | What about an optical computer? Do they have glass and the capability to grind a lens? | |
| Oct 20, 2014 at 16:38 | comment | added | superluminary | Mechanical computers are grindingly slow compared to electronic ones. You would not be playing pong. It would probably take a good couple of minutes of cranking to execute even the simplest of programs. | |
| Oct 7, 2014 at 14:19 | answer | added | Black | timeline score: 2 | |
| Oct 4, 2014 at 17:20 | answer | added | trichoplax is on Codidact now | timeline score: 6 | |
| Oct 3, 2014 at 22:23 | comment | added | Twelfth | The Byzantines, although heavily dependent on metal, put together the first machines that could be considered computers...incredibly complex machines of gears and pulleys and levers that performed a very dedicated task and nothing else. I can see this type of computing through the use of wood and glass...however I don't think it's possible to apply miniaturization to these without the advent of electricity...and I have problems envisioning electrical components without using metal. | |
| Oct 3, 2014 at 21:54 | answer | added | Mark | timeline score: 3 | |
| Oct 3, 2014 at 21:54 | answer | added | Kromey | timeline score: 12 | |
| Oct 3, 2014 at 21:50 | answer | added | mechalynx | timeline score: 7 | |
| Oct 3, 2014 at 21:41 | comment | added | CAgrippa | Isn't this a duplicate of worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/968/…? Or am I missing something? EDIT: nope, it's me. Good question! (Which I can't answer.) | |
| Oct 3, 2014 at 21:33 | history | asked | neph | CC BY-SA 3.0 |