The Off Topic Topic

[DGuller]

Things I didn't know I wanted to see today: WWII training film for bomber crews on how to avoid flak fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGVrWi-_GUI

One thing I never realized until fairly recently is the extent to which computers were already used in the field during WW2.  I knew about Alan Turing's bombes, but I never realized that even back then many types of guns were already firing somewhere because that's where a computer pointed them after doing some calculations.

[Josquius]

I feel like a real wheeler dealer.
Just got £200 for transferring bank account - I first opened a secondary account with my main bank and set up 3 £2 per month charity direct deposits to qualify.
And it worked.
 

[The Brain]

Things I didn't know I wanted to see today: WWII training film for bomber crews on how to avoid flak fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGVrWi-_GUI

One thing I never realized until fairly recently is the extent to which computers were already used in the field during WW2.  I knew about Alan Turing's bombes, but I never realized that even back then many types of guns were already firing somewhere because that's where a computer pointed them after doing some calculations.

Battleship era firing control computers are cool.

[grumbler]

Battleship era firing control computers are cool.

Indeed, and they came early.  Ford (not that Ford) fire control computers came out in 1917. The British had a complete system (directors, rangefinders, computers, gun laying instructions) by war's end.

[mongers]

Battleship era firing control computers are cool.

Indeed, and they came early.  Ford (not that Ford) fire control computers came out in 1917. The British had a complete system (directors, rangefinders, computers, gun laying instructions) by war's end.

Yes, us digital folk forget there were once analogue computers.

IIRC the last time I was on HMS Belfast, I saw a rather nifty one.

edit:
found a photo of it:

[Josquius]

I do think knowledge of this stuff is slowly starting to build with Ada Lovelace being established as a feminist icon a decade or two back. Fair few baby Adas about.

But then knowledge about how computers work overall has always been lacking. No programming at all was taught when I was in school beyond the turtle, and these days they don't even have that.