The Nightstar Zoo

A man named Harry Porter built his own computer from scratch, using mechanical relays. http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay/index.html

He did use an SRAM chip for the 32K of memory. Building that much RAM from relays would've filled much of his house.

"I am endeavoring, ma'am, to construct a mnemonic circuit using stone knives and bearskins."

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Fandemonium!
August 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 2014

"I am a machine. I am a weapon of war. I am a destroyer of life in the service of life, the sword and shield of my human creators." Bolo Invincibilus, Mark XXIII, Model B (Experimental) 0075-NKE "Nike".

In the mid-70's, I used eight "digital simulators" to build a basic computer that was able to take two 8-bit numbers and multiply them to produce a 16-bit result.

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"A sufficiently-advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke
"Sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology."
Jack L. Chalker
"Magic is just another way of saying 'I don't know how it works.'"
Larry Niven
"Any technology, no matter how primitive, is magic to those who don't understand it."
Florence Ambrose