Archived Could completely mechanical machines be self-aware, when being complex enough? (AskScience)
submitted ago by killer7
Posted by: killer7
Posting time: 3.1 years ago on
Last edit time: never edited.
Archived on: 1/25/2018 10:00:00 AM
Views: 539
SCP: 8
9 upvotes, 1 downvotes (90% upvoted it)
Archived Could completely mechanical machines be self-aware, when being complex enough? (AskScience)
submitted ago by killer7
view the rest of the comments →
[–] theoldones 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
completely mechanical as in moving parts and gears, like a clockwork engine?
with enough size and parts, there chances would be equal to an electronic computer
[–] fusir 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
There is one advantage I see the electronic computers for nearly unbounded finite complexity. That is that a computer is built around an adder. Nearly everything else is built around it. Multiplication, division, goto statements, incrementing the read instruction from machine code, addressing ram.
Adders can be built mechanically but because the adder in a computer is electronic a single one can be utilized by multiple components as long as they can time their use. Giving access to an adder to multiple mechanical systems would be impressive so either we need a fuck ton of adders or we need some genius mechanical circuitry.
[–] goatsandbros 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
I wonder whether there is a practical limit to the computing power, given current materials, or maybe even a theoretical limit, at some point. When would friction come into play, or the additive mechanical backlash of all the parts be sufficient to either interfere with the accuracy of the device, or even completely destroy it while in operation? Could atomic factors even come into importance, eventually?
Malicious hacking could even take on new dimensions: give the machine something to do that would cause it to move somehow at its own resonant frequency, and eventually tear itself apart!