Timeline for Why might advanced digital computers be unusable on my planets?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
26 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Feb 9, 2023 at 16:24 | comment | added | Negdo | To add two things: you could run machine-learning and automated factories on 70s era computers. It would go slower (and would require bigger computers) but it would work. And second: any change in how reality works (different physical constants and such) that would prevent the working of modern computers (and that we wouldn't be able to overcome that limitation) would be incompatible with human life. The only exception would be if you said that the God did it. | |
| Feb 3, 2023 at 7:37 | comment | added | TheDyingOfLight | Analogue computers can match our current computers in performance in theory. "All" you need is advanced nanotechnology. There is also the possibility of hijacking animal (or human) brains by putting the in sensory deprivation and giving them inputs via the senses and watching for example the muscular movement as an output. Given how powerful neuroplasticity is, you can probably do impressive stuff with those infant in a vat "computers". The bottom line is that computing machines are too valuable, your civilization will just find a different design paradigm. | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 15:42 | comment | added | Christopher James Huff | Lisp, a high level language with features like dynamic typing, higher-order functions, garbage collection, and both compiled and interpreted execution, was written for the IBM 704, which used vacuum tube logic and punched cards for program storage. | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 11:15 | answer | added | Duncan Drake | timeline score: 0 | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 10:52 | comment | added | Duncan Drake | The main difference between a current PC and one from the 90s is the nm of the CPU. An i486DX2-66 (1992) was 800nm. A current I7 is 14nm. I think OP could invent some quantum state techno babble that affects only the much more dense CPUs. Alternatively cosmic rays could be a somewhat acceptable explanation. | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 6:45 | answer | added | Tylon Foxx | timeline score: 0 | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 6:00 | answer | added | The Square-Cube Law | timeline score: 0 | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 5:52 | answer | added | Zwuwdz | timeline score: 0 | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 5:29 | answer | added | Tom | timeline score: 0 | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 5:10 | history | edited | Robert Rapplean | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
edited title
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| Feb 2, 2023 at 2:19 | comment | added | Christopher James Huff | Agree...a computer executes primitive machine code instructions, it performs those instructions the same way whether they implement a RPN calculator or a Java VM. The computer either functions or it doesn't, a 32-bit unsigned integer add operation isn't going to give the wrong result because it was used in code implementing some high level language abstraction. | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 0:50 | comment | added | jdunlop | Have to agree with SurpriseDog here - there is no distinction between a piece of software written in C and a piece of software written in Java and compiled to machine code. The "abstraction" they were talking about had nothing to do with complexity, and just to do with helping human developers. Unreal Engine 5 is written in C, and I don't think anyone would accuse it of being unsophisticated. I can see what you're broadly after, but you need to be aware that the definition of complexity you're using is incorrect. | |
| Feb 2, 2023 at 0:46 | history | edited | jdunlop | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 6 characters in body
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| Feb 1, 2023 at 23:52 | answer | added | Richard | timeline score: 0 | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 19:58 | comment | added | FIRES_ICE | @DanielB This might be my age show then. In all reality the goal for my digital computers is to be bulky and lower powered/capability enough such that they can run equipment for things like calculating basic things or converting signals (think radar or electro optical systems) but avoid the computer advancements that come with more advanced software. Essentially more complicated software especially in the realm of AI, machine learning, and modern heavy automation something I need to not be able to work on such planets. | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 19:53 | comment | added | FIRES_ICE | @SurpriseDog Yeah, the question if focusing on the abstraction layer. But there are differences between running even low level C and something like Java. There's more room for errors and issues when the abstraction layer gets higher and higher when it comes to converting to machine code, ideally my setting wouldn't allow that. Rather more on the line of general computing for number crunching. One way to put it is that I'm fine with digital computers on things like radars to match 90s and 80s tech. But at the same time I don't want my digital computers running facebook and automated factories. | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 19:46 | comment | added | FIRES_ICE | @JonCuster They all do, their complexity is what I'm trying to manipulate here. Essentially calculators but not smartphones. | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 17:25 | comment | added | SurpriseDog | How could you have a computer that runs assembly fine, but can't run higher level languages? Fun Fact: Higher level languages are compiled into machine code just like assembly is. It's an abstraction layer, not anything physically different. | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 15:14 | comment | added | Jon Custer | What current digital computers don’t use software? | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 13:41 | comment | added | Daniel B | Sorry, the point I’m trying to make is that a late 90s computer is absolutely sophisticated enough for JS to come into being. Your limitations on the tech’s capabilities aren’t matching the limitations of the tech you’re trying to match. | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 12:39 | comment | added | FIRES_ICE | @DanielB While true, it's the computing technology that is essentially stuck in a pre-higher level language era. A lot of internet software has extra wrappers and programming languages to help make the internet more user friendly instead of just a terminal where you can look up ascii text. Most computers will be executing instructions to a chip and or analyzing data to branch on an action. AOL or Javascript would be simply too complicated to implement on such planets | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 10:24 | answer | added | Daron | timeline score: 1 | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 8:33 | answer | added | XYZT | timeline score: 3 | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 6:47 | answer | added | Vesper | timeline score: 7 | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 6:32 | comment | added | Daniel B | A planet wide internet network already existed in the late 90s. | |
| Nov 24, 2022 at 5:23 | history | asked | FIRES_ICE | CC BY-SA 4.0 |