(1/4) Intro/History: Introducing a 100-year-old mechanical computer
engineerguy6 HN recommenders · recommended in 6 months, 2015–2023
explainer · general · evergreen · 2015–2023 on HN
The first of four short videos from Bill Hammack (engineerguy) introducing and giving the history of a 100-year-old mechanical computer, Michelson's harmonic analyzer. The series goes on to explain Fourier synthesis, analysis and operation of the machine.
Commenters recommend the series whenever Fourier analysis or analog computing comes up, praising Hammack's clear explanations and the short episodes.
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8 comments from Hacker News
There is a series of four fantastic videos about a successor to Thompson's tidal analyzer - the Michaelson's Harmonic Analyzer; here is the first video: ▶ this video
If you haven't watched all of Bill's videos, you should put them on your list right right now. His early stuff was a great mixture of goofy humor and fascinating explanations of the engineering behind various everyday objects. His more recent stuff has (unfortunately, in my opinion) dropped most of the comedy, but really stepped up the overall quality. Some highlights: His series on Faraday's Chemical History of a Candle lectures: link His series on Albert Michelson’s Harmonic Analyzer (a century old device that can mechanically perform Fourier transforms) ▶ this video I'd also really recommend his book on R101, the last great British airship. link
Many here probably have seen The Engineer Guy's series of videos showing a Fourier Analysis machine. If not here it is it's a great watch. ▶ this video
If you like this, you might also like Bill Hammack's series on a mechanical version of a fourier synthesizer (OK) and analyzer (wow!). Although it is multiple parts, each one is very short. ▶ this video As a side note, the guy who designed it was Michelson, famous for the Michaelson/Morley experiment that disproved the existence of the luminiferous ether.
Very cool. Also, if you're into this sort of thing here's the first in a seven video series on a very different mechanical computer - Albert Michelson's Harmonic Analyzer which does Fourier Analysis: ▶ this video
It's not in use today but if you haven't already seen it, I bet you would enjoy Bill Hammack's series explaining how a 100 year old mechanical harmonic analyzer works. ▶ this video
we've come a long way from: ▶ this video (incidentally research into automated tidal calculation was sponsored by the Royal Navy, because they didn't want their ships to get stuck off somebody's coast, in plain sight for hours after having rendezvoused, just because they missed a suitable tide for landing marines...)
Another, prior art, so to speak. ▶ this video A series of four videos detailing the operation of a mechanical computer for plotting Fourier series.