

How long would it take to re-create a computer running C from scratch materials? - quantumpotato_


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ColinWright
Do I need to build my own transistors?

If I'm allowed to use modern machines and software, an FPGA, and off-the-shelf
static RAM, I could do it in a week or two.

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quantumpotato_
Cool. If you had to build it all from scratch?

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ColinWright
What am I allowed to use? Discrete transistors? Relays? Wire and metals?

Do I need to refine my own metals? Make my own wire-drawing machines? It would
take me a few years, others might be able to do it more quickly.

I might be able to make a massive mechanical computer rather than an
electronic one. That would also take a few years. People have built
"computers" in MineCraft - something similar could be done for real.

Also, define "Run C." There are variants of C that run on PICs that are
genuine versions of C, and compile nicely to compact machine code.

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quantumpotato_
So a couple of years if you started from scratch. Cool. I'm just wondering how
fast we could rebuild computers if they all stopped working / disappeared.

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ColinWright
It would only run at about 1 Hz, though, so about 3000 million times slower
than existing machines. They would be effectively useless.

Maybe you need to think harder about what you're asking for, and why.

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Casseres
If some disaster happened and we wanted to restart the technological
revolution without any tools from said technological revolution. It's a good
thought experiment, and if anything ever should happen, hopefully we don't
lose centuries of technological advancements.

Consider this, where would we be today if the Library of Alexandria never
burned?

