LEGO Turing machine

Posted by Dan on Feb 3rd, 2009
2009
Feb 3

 

This is funny in ways that are hard to explain.  The point of a Turing machine is that it is a universal computer.  Any computation that can be done, can be done by a Turing machine.  A mechanical Turing machine built out of Tinker Toys would be impressive, because it would be more than the sum of its parts.  But this is a LEGO Mindstorms kit, and the block at the top is a general-purpose micro-computer, a universal computer.  Building a universal computer out of components that already include a universal computer, is funny.

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