Mechanical Computer (All Parts) - Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN commenters repeatedly recommend it as a beautiful, approachable explanation of analog mechanical computation, and many have rewatched it.
What it is
A 1953 US Navy training film explaining the basic mechanisms in mechanical fire control computers aboard ships. It shows how gears, differentials and cams solved mathematical problems in permanent mechanical form.
Recommended by 13 HN commenters across 12 different months, 2014 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec coreyp_1 · 2017-05 · on “The Turing Tumble lets you and your kids build real mechanical computers”
[this video] This is an old military instructional video about fire (artillery) control computers, explaining the mechanical aspects of how they work. It's beautiful in its elegance! I have watched it on multiple occasions just for the sheer beauty of the mechanisms involved. And, yes, of course I'm a nerd!
Strong rec boomlinde · 2018-11 · on “When mechanical analog computers ruled the waves (2014)”
The whole training film on mechanical computers, for navy mechanics I believe: [this video] It illustrates the problems and solutions near perfectly, and I've watched it way too many times.
Strong rec Bjartr · 2018-11 · on “When mechanical analog computers ruled the waves (2014)”
I did not see any link to the full training video[0] the clips in this article were taken from. I highly recommend it. It's a fascinating trip into engineering, computing, and the past. [0] [this video]
Strong rec kibwen · 2024-10 · on “Knocker uppers: Waking up the workers in industrial Britain (2016)”
Everyone reading this right now needs to check out this 1950s naval training video on the mechanical fire control computers of battleships: [this video] For fun, before you watch, think for yourself how you'd implement addition, multiplication, squaring, etc. with only gears and other mechanisms.
Recommends NamTaf · 2014-03 · on “Gears of war: When mechanical analog computers ruled the waves”
Obligatory link to youtube video of a 1950s training video on the mechanical fire control computers (which I stole from HN last time this sort of topic came up): [this video] edit: This video is the same footage featured throughout the article, in fact.
Recommends Sharlin · 2016-08 · on “Optical solutions to NP-Complete problems”
This old US Navy training film on mechanical fire control calculators (called "computers" back then, used to calculate firing solutions on warships) is pretty fascinating: [this video]
Recommends kqr · 2017-08 · on “One of the most complex wristwatches ever made”
I recommend watching this video if you're interested in learning about multivariate analysis using mechanical computers. It's very approachable and informative. [this video]
Recommends peterkelly · 2018-04 · on “Walt Disney's MultiPlane Camera (1957) [video]”
One of my favourites is this 1953 explanation of the workings of mechanical analog computers used by the US Navy: [this video]