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by brenainn 934 days ago
Not directly related, but brings to mind the training video for the fire control mechanical computers on US Navy ships: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1i-dnAH9Y4
2 comments
RossBencina 934 days ago
Also not directly related:

David A. Mindell, "Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and Computing before Cybernetics" https://press.jhu.edu/books/title/1207/between-human-and-mac...

Absolutely epic book.

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hermitcrab 934 days ago
It feels a bit strange when you hear naval people from the 40s talking about 'computing a firing solution'. But these systems must have been reasonably sophisticated for 2 moving warships 10+ miles apart to stand any chance of hitting each other, allowing for wind, changes in atmospheric pressure, the earth's curvature, pitching and yawing and coriolis force.
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dboreham 934 days ago
Also these things existed prior to WWI so by 1940 they were several iterations in.
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