[jamesmurdza]

Cool. I've been reading about analog computers recently, and here's a little history:

1936: Water integrator, used in USSR until the '80s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_integrator

1940s: Torpedo Data Computer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo_Data_Computer

1949: MONIAC, another water integrator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_Machine

1960s: Scanimate, of which there are still a couple in use: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanimate

Modern day: Slime molds, other biocomputers, and domino computer: https://youtu.be/OpLU__bhu2w

And of course, quantum computers.

[pkaye]

US Navy Mechanical Computer training film from 1953.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1i-dnAH9Y4

[bee_rider]

I love the care that goes into the presentation in these old videos.

Slow, with plenty of breaks to let your brain catch up, usually filled with a nice graphical example to keep your bring churning. Plenty of “why” explanation, in the beginning. Authoritative, but not condescending. Just the right amount of jargon.

[alexott]

There are also pneumatic computers. Here is the recent article: https://cacm.acm.org/news/275366-pneumatic-computing-gains-a..., but I remember (around 30 years ago) mentions of them in the field of nuclear reactors…

[bjelkeman-again]

A very nice and funny demonstration of the Moniac. https://youtu.be/gkNaZJmii28?si=7SHd3R3xBFxc86HS

[corethree]

Quantum computing isn't an analog computer. It's not digital either but it's definitely not analog. It has this thing called qubits.

[AlexErrant]

Analog and digital quantum computing are distinct things https://www.quera.com/glossary/analog-quantum-computing

[acidburnNSA]

Here's one from the 1960s used to determine the power coefficient of reactivity for a sodium-cooled graphite moderated reactor in Nebraska.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015095040682&vi...

[snowpid]

anabrid, the computer behind THAT was funded by the German govt's DARPA:

https://www.sprind.org/en/projects/ulmann/

[zer00eyz]

Tides!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide-predicting_machine