Talk:Differential analyser

Films
The article mentions three 1950s films, all of which used shots of the UCLA differential analyzer. I'm so glad of this, because I've had a nagging memory of seeing a movie in the 1950s (not one of these three), which included a brief shot which years later I realized was probably showing the inside of a mechanical differential analyzer.

Danged if I know what the movie was or anyone involved (I was a child). I have a vague recollection that it was about the development of the atomic bomb (i.e. the Manhattan project). The shot may have shown the inside of something like an IBM tabulator. It had a number of rotating shafts and gears, and as I recall they were of varying colors.

Can anyone shed light on this? Forton (talk) 10:50, 6 August 2009 (UTC)
 * To my recollection, there's a scene in George Pal's 'When Worlds Collide', produced in the early '50s, where the Differential Analyzer is employed to determine if a rogue planet will collide with Earth or only pass close by. Subsequent to that, there's a scene in Ray Harryhausen's 'Earth vs the Flying Saucers' featuring the DA, released in the mid '50s.

i am watch when worlds collide, 1951 and a differential analyzer is shown calculating indeed when the worlds will collide.

What is it? How does it work?
A chronology of who and where and all those pictures are nice, but where's a brief explanation of how one of these devices works? I now know of three movies in which it has appeared and all I know about the device itself is that it uses "wheel-and-disc mechanisms to perform the integration." I've got lots of wheels and discs, and all I can get out of them is addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Anyone know the trick? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.186.129.142 (talk) 07:27, 8 January 2010 (UTC)


 * That's a reasonable question, and one that I too have found myself asking when reading Wikipedia articles, sometimes. However: at the time of writing, the first reference in the article is "": have a look there, I'm sorry but I don't see myself trying to reduce this information so that it's suitable for this article, as I don't fully understand it myself! You're welcome to try, though. Nortonius (talk) 22:55, 2 August 2010 (UTC)

Bouncing bomb
According to the article, "The differential analyser was used in the development of the bouncing bomb, used to attack German hydroelectric dams during World War II.[2] … 2. The machine built for this purpose (during 1935 at Cambridge University by J. B. Bratt largely from Meccano) is now in the Museum of Transport and Technology collection in Auckland, New Zealand, having been purchased in Britain during the 1950s for GBP 100. It was used in New Zealand for the design of the Benmore Hydro Dam." Barnes Wallis' bouncing bomb was conceived 1942, used 1943 - so, how can the "machine [have been] built for this purpose" in 1935? I suspect a simple re-wording of the ref is in order, e.g. "The machine used for this purpose had been built by J.B. Bratt at Cambridge University in 1935, largely from Meccano, and is now etc." I'll change it myself in a day or two, if no-one has any better ideas. Also, the ref itself is unsourced! That ought to be fixed, too. Nortonius (talk) 11:44, 17 July 2010 (UTC)

Ok I've re-worded the ref as I suggested above. I've also emailed MOTAT, in hope of getting a ref for the ref! Nortonius (talk) 16:12, 19 July 2010 (UTC)

I've now updated the article based on information in an email received by me in response to my query to MOTAT - looking carefully, most (but not quite all!) of this info was already in the article, in one form or another, but it was good to have it confirmed, and more information may be forthcoming. In essence, my update is intended to reflect a more careful reading of the available info; but, as things stand, it's almost got to the point where reference to the bouncing bomb could be deleted, or perhaps all moved to a ref. I'll make further changes if I find out more. Nortonius (talk) 16:49, 21 July 2010 (UTC)

Per the above, having received further info in response to my query to MOTAT, I've now uploaded a number of further changes to the article. In the absence of any intervening comments from other editors, I've also taken the opportunity to introduce a fairly major re-structure of the article. I've done some re-writing of the article itself, but mostly for style, though I've removed one mention of a film under what is now the "Cultural references" section, as I didn't find a source for it. However, I'm currently waiting for further info via the RAF Museum London, so there may be more changes to come on the subject of the bouncing bomb. Nortonius (talk) 19:08, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

BTW, in my summary for this edit, I said I'd added an item to the Bibliography - sorry, working when too tired, I should've said I'd edited an item in the Bibliography... Yawn... Nortonius (talk) 21:59, 23 July 2010 (UTC)

Ameringlish
This article contains a number of variant spellings, e.g "analyser/analyzer", "analogue/analog". Though I've already been working on this article quite a bit, I would hesitate to regularise spellings according to one type of variant or the other per WP:MOS without input from other editors. My feeling is that, on the whole, British English should be used, in view of the article's current title, the fact that its inventor was born in Belfast and grew up in Glasgow, etc. But I may be open to persuasion! Comments? Nortonius (talk) 21:49, 23 July 2010 (UTC)


 * I'd guess might as well go with the title which says 'analyser'. Dmcq (talk) 22:30, 23 July 2010 (UTC)


 * ✅ I've now done this - except for examples I've missed and there probably are some - thanks to Dmcq, and in the absence of comments from other editors. Nortonius (talk) 22:48, 2 August 2010 (UTC)

New Zealand
Wow what is with all the FUD? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.17.72.133 (talk) 00:23, 30 April 2016 (UTC)

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Was this article written by Meccano?
Why does the beginning of the "Use of Meccano" section sound like an advertisement? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Loadedonloaded (talk • contribs) 00:24, 5 May 2020 (UTC)