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From: rlw@ttardis.UUCP (Ron Wilson)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Horizontal shuttle take-off
Message-ID: <2672@ttardis.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jan 91 17:15:30 GMT
Organization: Gallifrey
Lines: 26

In article <1744@inews.intel.com>, dbraun@cad412.intel.com (Doug Braun ~) writes:
>
>In article <236@rml.UUCP> jack@rml.UUCP (jack hagerty) writes:
>>
>>Ever see "When Worlds Collide" from the early '50s? One of the George Pal
>>classics. 
>
>This movie is sort of a riot to watch nowadays.  Look out for the scene
>where the astronomers use the "differential analyzer" (which looks like
>an overgrown automobile transmission) to calculate the trajectory of
>the giant meteor (or whatever) that's going to destroy Earth.

I have seen pictures of computers like that one.  They are in essense
motorised slide rules that are programmed by changing pulleys, gears, and
cams.  Really rather ingenious.  Naturally, a programmer for these machanical
monsters had be both a mathametician and a mechanical engineer (and possibly
a machinist).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
About MS-DOS: "... an OS originally designed for a microprocessor that modern
                kitchen appliances would sneer at...."
                   - Dave Trowbridge, _Computer Technology Review_, Aug 90

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