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Mechanical Computer (All Parts) - Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers

Excelsior10000 · documentary · Watch on YouTube

Mechanical & precision engineeringHistory of computingMilitary history & warfare

What it is

A 1953 US Navy training film explaining the basic mechanisms in mechanical fire control computers aboard ships. It shows how gears, differentials and cams solved mathematical problems in permanent mechanical form.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters repeatedly recommend it as a beautiful, approachable explanation of analog mechanical computation, and many have rewatched it.

  • 13 people recommended it
  • 12 different months
  • 4 strong recommendations
  • first 2014, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “It's beautiful in its elegance! I have watched it on multiple occasions just for the sheer beauty of the mechanisms involved.”

    Explains mechanisms of fire control computers; beautiful and elegant.

    coreyp_1, 2017-05 · Strong recommendation · in “The Turing Tumble lets you and your kids build real mechanical computers”

  2. “It illustrates the problems and solutions near perfectly, and I've watched it way too many times.”

    Illustrates problems and solutions near perfectly; rewatched many times.

    boomlinde, 2018-11 · Strong recommendation · in “When mechanical analog computers ruled the waves (2014)”

  3. “I highly recommend it. It's a fascinating trip into engineering, computing, and the past.”

    Full training video behind the article's clips.

    Bjartr, 2018-11 · Strong recommendation · in “When mechanical analog computers ruled the waves (2014)”

  4. “Everyone reading this right now needs to check out this 1950s naval training video”

    Must-watch 1950s film on battleship mechanical fire control computers.

    kibwen, 2024-10 · Strong recommendation · in “Knocker uppers: Waking up the workers in industrial Britain (2016)”

  5. “Obligatory link to youtube video of a 1950s training video on the mechanical fire control computers”

    1950s Navy training film on mechanical fire control computers.

    NamTaf, 2014-03 · Recommendation · in “Gears of war: When mechanical analog computers ruled the waves”

  6. “is pretty fascinating”

    Old US Navy film on mechanical fire control calculators.

    Sharlin, 2016-08 · Recommendation · in “Optical solutions to NP-Complete problems”

  7. “It's very approachable and informative.”

    Approachable, informative intro to mechanical analog computation.

    kqr, 2017-08 · Recommendation · in “One of the most complex wristwatches ever made”

  8. “One of my favourites is this 1953 explanation of the workings of mechanical analog computers used by the US Navy”

    1953 explanation of US Navy mechanical analog computers.

    peterkelly, 2018-04 · Recommendation · in “Walt Disney's MultiPlane Camera (1957) [video]”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: fire control computers, analog computing, us navy, mechanisms, gears

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