Computer Built in Minecraft Has RAM, Performs Division
- Thread starter Greg Tito
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Sort of. A computer is built upon the concept of the Turing Machine. To water down a lot of details, basically one creates an electrical circuit who's properties change depending upon an input. The "rules" of the system, as in the fundamental rule that governs the operation of a computer is that a given segment can either operate as a wire (it lets current flow) or as a block (it greatly resists electrical flow). Using transistors (tiny devices that can be altered to allow current flow or resist it based upon an input current) one can construct very simple devices that allow for certain fundamental operations. For example AND (if you have current in one line AND current in another line you output current. Otherwise you do not) and OR (if you have current in one line OR another line or even both you output current).Jabberwock xeno said:
These relatively simple devices are called Turing machines. If one combines large numbers of Turing machines they can do more complex tasks like add a pair of numbers or store information for later retrieval. Once complete, such a system of Turing machines becomes itself, a universal Turing machine. Simply put, given sufficient access to memory and given sufficient time anything that can be computed can be computed by a universal Turing machine.
Now, because a Turing machine is little more than a device that reads an input and produces an output according to a table of rules, it can take an enormous number of forms. In the simplest form, a person could themselves follow a very simple table of rules to produce such an output and act, themselves, as a Turing machine.
It's only a small step before someone grabs zombies and makes Deep Rot (http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/12936417/).
On behalf of all comp-sci majors everywhere... this is not hard, this is not brilliant, this is not even impressive. Creating a CPU within any system that allows for basic logic simulation is nothing special. You'd do it in 200-level courses as part of any comp-sci degree.
The fact that he did it in Minecraft is no more or less noteworthy than any other massive timesink project done in Minecraft. This project is no more special than, say, a giant penis or a scale model of the Enterprise.
The fact that he did it in Minecraft is no more or less noteworthy than any other massive timesink project done in Minecraft. This project is no more special than, say, a giant penis or a scale model of the Enterprise.
I can't disagree with that at all. Neither can any of my friends who I've introduced to it as well.Torrasque said:
Ever since seeing these videos it makes me wonder if Minecraft will reach a point where the technology developed inside of it will begin to advance at a rate similar to our real life tech. Intentional or not on the part of Notch, it just goes to show how much ingenuity people really have with simplistic and limited resources at their disposal.
Either way it should be bloody interesting to see how far people take the ball and run with it.
I was being sarcastic in my comment. Obviously AI won't be stumbled upon in Minecraft, but it'd be funny if it was. Hence: sarcasm.Mazty said:
This guy made a computer in Minecraft just to prove that he could, and probably because he felt like it. Its like the guy that made the Starship Enterprise. Does that accomplish anything? Of course not, but its fun and cool.
And judging by what he has said, he didn't really follow that many instructions because alot of his computer is unique and uncommon.
I'd say making a computer in Minecraft (even if it is just "following basic instructions") is much more difficult than Gran Turismo. Driving games are easy shit.
lol, you're still missing my point, so I'll say this as simple as I can.Mazty said:
AI is hard to get.
It won't be obtained in Minecraft.
It would be humorous if it was obtained in Minecraft.
Hope that makes sense.
Minecraft is fun because its a limitless sandbox game that only has 1 limitation: your imagination. If you don't enjoy it, then its not the game's fault.
Of course its simple in electronic terms, its a fucking video game. I think its cool that he made it despite his simple tools and materials, just like I'd be impressed at a man making a computer out of a few chunks of wood and some dead squirrels.
How to play a driving game:
Gas is here, turn is here, e-brake is there.
Get comfortable with how to drift, get familiar with levels.
Voila. Driving game mastery 101.
*so you don't miss my point again*
That was not sarcasm.
I am not saying driving games are hard.
I am saying driving games are easy.
Code is merely instructions on how to do something, which can be "run" on any machine that is capable of understanding the code, including a machine that consists entirely of a guy moving rocksJabberwock xeno said:
You can find the comic here
http://xkcd.com/505/