
(Historical) Harry Porter's Relay Computer - ColinWright
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3wPBcmSb2U
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ColinWright
This has been submitted a few times before, but I came across it again today
and thought I'd re-submit it. There's not been much discussion, but it's a
fascinating machine. Here's a link to the technical details and description:

<http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay/>

Here are earlier HN submissions:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=150788>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3116921>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3452778>

Here's a search:

[http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=harry+relay...](http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=harry+relay+computer&sortby=create_ts+desc)

I'm also reminded of "From NAND to Tetris", which is around here somewhere.

It's clearly possible to learn to program and to produce amazing things
without knowing how a computer works, but sometimes I wonder if there are kids
who would become interested in computers if there was more information about
how they work at a more steam-punk level. Building a machine from relays, then
getting it to do simple sums, then building a machine from NAND gates,
understanding they are effectively the same thing, and thence to Tetris.
Finally, seeing a more modern machine and what that can do, and understanding
that it's a simple, but lengthy progression.

Are there kids who would be inspired by this?

Would they become good programmers?

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ginko
I imagine that the Zuse Z1 must have sounded like that while running.

