Home-Built Turing Machine

stronghawk writes "The creator of the Nickel-O-Matic is back at it and has now built a Turing Machine from a Parallax Propeller chip-based controller, motors, a dry-erase marker and a non-infinite supply of shiny 35mm leader film. From his FAQ: 'While thinking about Turing machines I found that no one had ever actually built one, at least not one that looked like Turing's original concept (if someone does know of one, please let me know). There have been a few other physical Turing machines like the Logo of Doom, but none were immediately recognizable as Turing machines. As I am always looking for a new challenge, I set out to build what you see here.'"

Know what I'm thinking?

[snarfies]

Hot Tub Turing Machine!

This made me have a major geek moment.

[BlueKitties]

For social reasons I will refrain from mentioning this to my friends (which I have) later tonight. Baaaah, I want one! This is so pointless but nifty, my inner collector is crying out. Damn fiscal responsibilities in life tell me it's a waste of money, but oh, the geeky child inside cries out!

"Parallax Propeller chip-based controller"

[John Hasler]

No relays. How sad.

Re:hmmm

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

For the ultimate in coffee table extravagance, you need this turing machine running an implementation of Conway's game of life, ideally using a chessboard as the display device for that: full cells would rise slightly above the board, moving back down when declared empty.

To provide randomized starting positions for your game of life simulations, without sinning against Von Neumann, a vintage mahogany-clad Geiger-Müller counter would of course be included...

Turing Machine=Mathematician Without Insight

[aaaaaaargh!]

A Turing machine is supposed to represent what an infinitely patient mathematician with no insight can achieve when he has an infinite amount of paper and pencils. Obviously, the infinity here poses some problems, but you can build a finite Turing machine by finding a mathematician that has no insights,giving him tranquilizers to make him more patient, and locking him into your basement with some food and papers and pencils.

New Math?

[Jason1729]

Wow...where can I buy a Turing-complete microcontroller?

So what?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm using a Turing machine to make this post right now. What's the big deal?

Mine's faster, too.

Re: I found that no one had ever actually built on

[CannonballHead]

Ensure. Unless you mean those input devices actually insure your computer. Maybe that was part of the health care bill?

Re: I found that no one had ever actually built on

[Anonymous Coward]

From http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/insure

insure

      verb 1 arrange for compensation in the event of damage to or loss of (property, life, or a person), in exchange for regular payments to a company. 2 secure the payment of (a sum) in this way. 3 (insure against) protect (someone) against (a possible eventuality). 4 another term for ENSURE.

You might want to pay attention to definition #4.

Re:Finite State Machine

[nitehawk214]

If you replace every instance of "Finite State Machine" with "Flying Spaghetti Monster", the post sounds more like a religious discussion.

Re:Finite State Machine

[radtea]

What I find tickling about this implementation is the clear evidence of an embedded FSM emulating the programmed TM.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is embedded in the programmed Transcendental Meditation?

Proof of Intelligent Design!

I'm impressed

[the_other_chewey]

Im impressed: For an infinite tape, the reels look very compact.