Making Money Flow: The MONIAC

Reserve Bank of New Zealand1 HN recommender · recommended in 1 month, 2020–2022

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demo · general · evergreen · 2020–2022 on HN

A short demonstration of the MONIAC, Bill Phillips' hydro-mechanical economic computer, at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand museum. It shows how water flows model an economy's money flows.

Brought up as a charming example of analog and liquid computers simulating a national economy.

5 comments from Hacker News

@pseudolus2022-06 · in “Physicists are building neural networks out of vibrations, voltages and lasers”

I believe one of the earliest applications incorporating this line of thought was MONIAC, the Monetary National Income Analogue Computer, which used water levels to model the economy [0]. There's a short youtube documentary on its history and operation. [1] [0] link [1] ▶ this video ▶ this video (shows operation of MONIAC)

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@robocat2022-11 · in “Quantum winter is coming”

Here’s an analogue computer called the MONIAC from ~1949 that calculates monetary flow in an economy: link with a fairly naff video of it operating but captures the essence: ▶ this video I like the COMPAQ branding added to it!

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@Nition2022-06 · in “Show HN: A central bank simulator game with a realistic economic model”

This is exactly why MONIAC[0][1] was created in 1949. Not a real computer exactly - it simulates the entire system with water flow. [0] link [1] ▶ this video

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@copperwater692022-02 · in “A brief history of liquid computers (2019)”

There was a neat liquid computer called the MONIAC used to model the national economic processes of the UK. Here's a video: ▶ this video Edit: Oh it was mentioned in the paper!

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@basicplus22020-05 · in “The Vintage Beauty of Soviet Control Rooms (2018)”

And of course its always worth mentioning the MONIAC.. (Monetary National Income Analogue Computer) also known as the Phillips Hydraulic Computer link ▶ this video

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