A sculk-sensor calculator (and why it demos quantum uncertainty)

Response to a Minecraft challenge. Also, continuing the long tradition of nerds making calculators out of things that weren't designed to be calculators.
Here's @peterjiangTW 's original challenge: • SSR Challenge[1.19]
and his own response: • Sculk sensor circuit [...
World download: www.planetminecraft.com/proje...
#minecraft #calculation #sculksensor #circuit

[@DonnaPinciot]

I'll still remember when this video was called: *Sculk-sensors, quantum uncertainty, and Minecraft circuitry (let's make a calculator)* I like the word 'quantum', and it does fit.

[@whitestonejazz]

I like it too. A more tame title is likely better though because such a small part of the video is actually about quantum uncertainty (and the little bit that's in there is uninformed). Plus the main content is the calculator. It would be great fun though to do a video focused on all the comparisons between Minecraft and quantum physics (which happen surprisingly often). EDIT 4/22/23: Fair enough 🙂. 300 likes seems enough to count as a popular vote around here. 'Quantum' is back in the name! And for the future, deciding a video's title by vote is really cool.

[@DonnaPinciot]

@@whitestonejazz That does sound like a lot of fun. Macroscopic quantum mechanics are always interesting to me. If you end up doing that, I'll be there to see the video!

[@quitstalkingmelol]

​@@whitestonejazz I'm inclined to believe the reason we have this "uncertainty" is due to our lack of advancement in tools required. I may be wrong, but science usually hasn't left us with fuzzy answers... That is unless there was more to the answer.

[@whitestonejazz]

title has 'quantum' again! 🙂300 likes seems enough to count as a popular vote around here. And for the future, deciding a video's title by vote seems like a blast

[@DonnaPinciot]

@@whitestonejazz Woot!

[@cbhv4321]

After they made it so skulk sensors measure distance, I've been thinking to try making an ear off sorts, which uses multiple skulk sensors and measures their signal strength in order to pinpoint the direction and maybe even coordinates of a noise

[@Sw3d15h_F1s4]

look up phased array antennas, that's basically the EE equivalent of what u are talking about.

[@nl_morrison]

then you could hook it up to one of those coordinate TNT launchers

[@ncolyer]

alr done this with green jab and mattbatwings, it's called trilateration (or multilateration for higher accuracy) in fact the recent changes with the sculk sensor accuracy changes were only because of a couple bug-features green and I have been pushing for the last few years so if you have any questions on this feel free to ask

[@technocube2940]

@@ncolyer That’s how the touchscreen works, right?

[@ncolyer]

@@technocube2940 we've made more than one touschreeen and all 3 use different methods to track vibrations but I'll assume you're talking about the original one from 2020, that one used a look up rom and AND gates to verify the players position not any calculation involving trilateration, that's what an unreleased v2 can do

[@DoctorPlasmaMC]

7:50 what's neat is you're using sound waves and seeing the same problem that happens on the scale where particles are more like waves. quantum tunneling is a nightmare that shows up when the newtonian physics breaks down. it's like the signal teleports over the gap. MinutePhysics did a good video on it, but i'm not sure it mentioned CPUs.

[@whitestonejazz]

Turns out there is a room-sized CPU in the UK called the "MegaProcessor" which does, in fact, have hundreds of tiny lights showing circuit activity! kzbin.info/www/bejne/on_EapWHh7WAeJo (thanks to Daniel for sharing this).

[@sourestcake]

It's really fitting how these share problems with modern processors, considering these are also kind of wave-based.

[@mariotheundying]

Can't wait for someone to make a computer in Minecraft with a mod that allows you to be small and place small blocks so when you return to normal size it's a normal computer

[@fdxg.]

@@mariotheundying Chisel could have been this, but it never was :(

[@iamunamed5800]

@@fdxg. it does exist! it's called Tiny Redstone

[@coolestto]

@@mariotheundying RIP Little Blocks mod, loved that back in the day

[@lbgstzockt8493]

I think what you were talking about with the wrong input leaking thorugh a logic gate is related to quantum tunneling, the transistors get so small that the probability distribution of the individual electrons goes beyond the insulator and sort of exists on the output side.

[@chainingsolid]

Well that's the best explanation of that I've seen...

[@hexagonist23]

I think electrons can actually 'tunnel' at any distance, even like a whole kilometer. It's just really, really unlikely.

[@MyNameIsSalo]

@@hexagonist23 yes, and the smaller the circuitry and the more logic gates, those unlikely events become exponentially more likely to occur.

[@darthhunter69]

​@@hexagonist23 exactly my friend. That's why I believe anyone could simply wake up on the other side of the galaxy one day, it's just extremely unlikely because all the subatomic particles would have to appear at the exact right place at the exact same time

[@partlyblue]

​@@darthhunter69 Many many orders of magnitudes unlikely, but still a really fun piece of brain candy :).When describing the safety of nuclear reactors I love explaining how similar concerns over a rx plant turning into a nuclear bomb are to other silly things like, "while extremely improbable, it is entirely possible that when I hit this table with my hand that all the atoms in my body undergo fission or that I phase right through as if it wasn't solid"

[@TMinusRecords]

You can use carpet mod bots to load the area

[@grayishcolors]

Or the forceload command?

[@infiniteplanes5775]

Or an alternative account

[@itap8880]

Or one of many vanilla chunk loaders?

[@Soraphis91]

Or layer them vertical with 15 blocks apart. to transfer a signal vertically, place a skulk sensor in the middle of the output/input above/below

[@Rain0T]

or other people

[@Mertly]

Now I can't help thinking they should make different colors of glass act like different power resistors. Depending on the color, they reduce the distance that sound travels in that direction. Edit: Just adding, they could also make the colors line up with real world resistor color bands, like the four band color code

[@alexanderjamesaustin]

it would be cool if we could dye the skulk sensors into different colors so we can make rgb pixels with them

[@solsystem1342]

​@@alexanderjamesaustin that wouldn't work. You can't insulate the signals enough in a 1x1 space to get a signal through to a single sculk sensor. Maybe more like a fuzzy Cathode ray tv setup when the output is blurred a bit.

[@vincentwollny4478]

@@solsystem1342 with the right distance you can do it as shown in the video

[@kingbdogz]

The chunk unloading breaking vibrations should be fixed in the latest snapshot, would love you to give it a shot now :)

[@PopeGoliath]

This reminds me of Wireworld, a cellular automata that behaves very similarly to these wires and diodes. Someone built a functional computer in it. It's gorgeous.

[@michaelanderson3566]

Exactly what I thought of when I saw the thumbnail!

[@ZeroPlayerGame]

Nice! I imagine there's room for improvement in the gate department - you could definitely make an XOR gate by using horizontal two-state signal clogs across two lines, and that'd probably get the gate delay down.

[@katie-ampersand]

I've only seen one other person so excited to explain their circuit design. You really sound proud of your work in this video, for some reason. Really nice chill vibes

[@auxod3219]

I'm happy you finally have enough time to share all of your projects.

[@zaangtwyt]

I had always been wondering how would the new skulk sensor work with today’s red-stone computer, and it seems that skulk sensors can build a CPU by itself.

[@LucasTheDrgn]

IIRC, it is in fact quantum tunneling of electrons that electronics designers are starting to run into with making smaller circuitry

[@NickMaltbie]

This was a fun video, thanks for sharing your build! You did a great job of explaining basic circuit operations as well.

[@samsontag]

Found this channel through your floor videos, which aren't the type of content I usually watch but I'm so glad youtube suggested them to me cause you did a really good job with them which inspired me to check out the rest of your channel, and i've really enjoyed every video of yours i've seen so far.

[@saizen4209]

I like to hear your thought processes, it is instructive actually

[@Maryeet]

This is so cool, both on a technical level and visually! I'm always so impressed to see what people do with Minecraft mechanics :)!

[@voidface8827]

This is so cool! I don’t think I could’ve done anything nearly as cool as this! Wow:) I found your channel recently-ish, and you keep amazing me with these unique ideas

[@JNCressey]

Its fun how the signals can have a cross-roads on a single layer. For redstone or wires, you need to bridge one line over the other to not touch.

[@AlanZucconi]

As someone who like Minecraft *and* Turing Completeness... I love this! 🤩 It also looks very clean, compared to some more messy redstone contraptions I have seen! (Also: have you tried the /forceload command to make sure the entire circuit stays loaded no matter how far you are?)

[@miasmi5992]

i love your videos so much, i never really "get" them but theyre so sick no matter what

[@Polygonetwo]

This was right cool and I appreciate all the explanations as to how it's related to actual circuitry. Very interesting.

[@susata5123]

Just found your channel, such a cool vibe

[@YoshisaurUnderscore]

This is so awesome!! I'm currently working toward an electrical engineering degree, and seeing the concepts I'm learning about show up in this video and actually being able to understand them was a really cool feeling.

[@jake4d40]

awesome job really cool build and excellent explanation of the circuits/theory 10/10

[@SyntaxDaemon]

Great video! Also, vibing with the bg music.

[@cheeeeesepete]

"a full-adder is like the utah teapot of circuitry" you're totally right and i agree entirely and also that's the most computer nerd sentence i've ever heard and it's not even necessarily that obscure

[@cheesedabber]

really interesting video and great explanation!!

[@Redz]

Amazing as always!

[@whtiequillBj]

have you thought of trying Purple's modified skulk sensor: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJezo6aOaL6XqNk

[@Snowshill]

I love the skul sensors they are memerising to watch, I hope we see many many "living" or "breathing" circuts and mechiens etc.

[@xhappybunnyx]

wow... bravo on this. The work itself is incredible, and the narration and editing made this surprisingly easy to follow. I started out thinking I'd probably skip over the vid if it was out of my depth but that feeling never came.

[@xhappybunnyx]

If you haven't already considered teaching in any capacity you sincerely should. You have a knack for breaking concepts down and your passion for the material is contagious

[@PanoptesDreams]

This is an amazing way to visualize and learn skulk

[@LessThanPeachy]

There's a command that you can use that will keep chunks loaded within a certain area you set. Pretty useful for all kinds of things.

[@danielrhouck]

This is really cool! I donʼt have time to fully follow it at the moment and will have to watch again, but as for something you said in the beginning: have you heard of the Megaprocessor (thereʼs a Computerphile video about it) or the MOnSter 6502? Both are IRL functional (though slow and in the Megaprocessor case very nonstandard) CPUs that have lots of LEDs that indicate status and activity. The Megaprocessor in particular isnʼt hooked up to a display per se, just the RAM bank with a lot of LEDs . (EDIT: The Megaprocessor video was Computerphile not Tom Scott, but WhiteStoneJazz found it and itʼs in the pinned comment)

[@Ligands23]

Fascinating! What a great video!

[@CreeperPlane_Crazy]

Really cool, I learned a lot! :D

[@ChilledBacon]

is it possible for the "wilres" to be sent up and down n the world to make the circuit smaller to allow for them all to be rendered?

[@MegaMieb]

For the thing with the circuits breaking when you are out of render distance you could just force load the chunks

[@Wallemations]

to solve the distance problem with the circuits, why not make layers for each of the 8 copies, using a layer of wool between each to keep them separate? you'd still be following the core of the challenge as you'd be using only sensors, pistons, and wool, so by adding verticality you'd really just be increasing the amount of data you can have computing at once. Maybe if you compacted it this way you'd be able to add even more of them to add even larger numbers?

[@hueban1643]

the flat world with skulk sensors kinda reminds me of the silicon wafers that real life circuits are essentially etched into with lasers

[@gjc2310]

ont thing that you could check out to get around the chunk loading issue is using something like the ftb utilities / teams mod(s). It might need some extra mods but with those atleast it will let you chunk load alot of the circuits and hopefully let you build some crazy big circuits

[@AnnabelleBot]

this is beautiful. the 8 looping noteblocks really sells it

[@noahqh]

I love this! I want a world download so bad. Also, you can test with multiple clients to keep different parts of the map loaded. Maybe just invite a few friends (or afk bots) to station in different locations.

[@whitestonejazz]

Here's a download, the map is on planet Minecraft now www.planetminecraft.com/project/sculk-sensor-calculator-playground/

[@Nooticus]

Even as someone who doesn’t know anything about coding, this was pretty clear to understand and so cool :)) great video!

[@hi12345624]

Sounds like you need to download a couple mods to keep those chunks loaded and redstone running so we can see this work in action! Looks pretty cool.

[@MinerBat]

cant you stack multiple layers on top of each other to make them all inside one loaded area? would need a way to transmit signals up or down

[@SunlightonMoon]

Well skulk sensors do transmit vertically

[@Twisted_Code]

What are you using to freeze and step through the server tick loop with a command?

[@whitestonejazz]

Carpet mod

[@boroxify]

Just watched 'Why Lightbulbs Might be The Best Invenction Ever" by Veritasium discussing how real diodes were innovated into gates and the first computers to see this! Quite a treat. Well done!

[@babagd]

I really like this guy and im excited for future videos

[@xd3athclawx554]

one thing i just thought of is that they should make skulk sensors use directional placement, like so it can be placed on the side of blocks aswell, idk if it would change any current functionality but would make some cool builds i think. Like telephone poles or something on a street.

[@kyleyoung2464]

Another supper intresting video..thanks

[@DemonSeedXP]

You should load up forge and install chicken chunks, chunk loader. It's able to prevent those type of unloading issues from happening. Cool video btw, pretty clever use of the game mechanics. Don't think I've ever seen anyone create full on logic circuits without a single piece of redstone!

[@david.godlewski]

I'm sure someone else has mentioned this before, but as for solving the chunks unloading, couldn't you do this on a multiplayer world and have other people stand throughout the circuitry to keep it loaded? for proof of concept, at least. There's gotta be other ways to keep chunks loaded, too 🤔

[@solus5317]

You used an astable multivibrator as a memory cell. Congratulations, this was always possible but I have never seen an actual application for it. Impressive.

[@yorisfreshie]

Loved the video!

[@MyNameIsSalo]

using a childrens game to describe quantum tunneling, this guy is a genius

[@Sud0F1nch]

at 4:25 you refrence crosstalk and adress the issue with insulation. my brain , this is too good,. well played

[@utilityericke4409]

While watching the video and the moment he mentions that the signal looks like electrons moving through a wire, an idea came to my mind. And it is that if you think about it, and with a little bit of imagination, the floor made of sculk sensors reminds me of the electromagnetic field and its ability to make light waves travel through it.

[@alexanderjamesaustin]

i wonder if its possable to make a pixel screen animation lin vanilla minecraft using this method without commandblocks

[@linamishima]

With respect to the propagation delay for the 8 bit chained adder, it is possible to do any word length of full adder in just four gate delays, rather than the delay length increasing proportionally to the number of bits. It's a wild piece of math which swaps time for adding much more circuitry. Won't help with the unloading issue, though :P

[@mitchderise73]

Checkout the simulation distance settings. That should be able to help you with the issue of circuits not rendering when you're far away

[@michaeldarden5152]

Could you fix the unloading problem for the 8-bit adder by stacking these in some way? You might have to add a bit of actual redstone but I'm not sure.

[@petersmythe6462]

Wow. This is both awesome and a bit concerningly large for a 1-bit adder.

[@mz7315]

For a second I thought you made an actual quantum computer in Minecraft. I was shook. Doesn't sound that far off. I am aware that each qubit requires exponentially more RAM to simulate classically. Still a cool Idea tho.

[@xGOKOPx]

"It would be cool to make CPU with a faint glow where circuit activity is" I know I'm fun at parties but real world CPUs (even fairly old ones) are way too fast and for the human eye it would be just the entire thing blinking or just glowing constantly Edit: More likely glow constantly because light bulbs (not all of them but for example LED-based ones among others) do blink but you don't see it. CPU clock speeds are a lot higher than the frequency those bulbs flicker at so I think that even accounting for not every piece of the circuit being used all the time, I think the whole thing would still appear constantly lit

[@peterjiangTW]

Wow! That NOT gate is so cool! I never thought it was possible.

[@combatking0]

Could this be built in layers for each bit being added together. This would allow it to be built in a single chunk. Wool could be used to "insulate" the layers from each other, with holes in the wool layers to allow the signal to propegate where required.

[@duncathan_salt]

I just want you to know that this autoplayed immediately after Ben Eater's latest 6502 vid. That's extremely high praise from the algorithm imo

[@whitestonejazz]

it is an honor I'm glad to receive

[@PastelPiku]

The flatness makes it really easy to see what's going on, but I wonder how compact these could get if you utilized the 3rd dimension.

[@lukegilgun9898]

Man im 22 years old I've been playing this game since I was 11 and I could never understand how crazy this was until recently. I'm studying mechanical engineering right now and have had to take a bunch of electrical courses as a bi-product. This guy is literally teaching electrical engineering but in Minecraft. Like holy crap man i hope you went to school for this,

[@Sam-yp1zi]

you should use nether portal chunk loaders to do larger bit additions

[@marcasrealaccount]

1:29 It is theoretically possible, because most silicon semi conductors all behave the same way. As in a transistor can be an LED or a photoelectric diode (or solar panel), an LED could be a transistor or a photoelectric diode, and a photoelectric diode (or solar panel) could be a transistor or an LED, so when you apply voltage to the gate of a transistor it might generate photon emissions in the most likely form of near-infrared, if we go off of 1.12 eV for the Si band-gap, however we don't see them because the cpu die itself is highly fragile so we protect it with a stronger heat spreader, as well as the usual shielding off the die itself.

[@siddharth_desai]

You just need a bunch of players standing at different parts of the circuit to keep the chunks loaded. Or there's probably a way to do it with mods

[@jelenahegser445]

totally love it!!!

[@derakles]

cant u do the circuit in layers? u would only need to find a way to send the signal between those this would give u way more space thats loaded

[@the_7th_sun]

You could try using a chunk loader mod so the 8 bit adder doesn't break

[@elliejohnson2786]

As someone who has never used sculks before, you forgot to mention that (And I may be wrong here) sculks power objects when they activate near them. At least I think, it looks like that's how they work in the video. I can't tell for certain.

[@Blit_Wizbok]

could you use verticality to compress the circuit enough that it wouldn't break from unloading?

[@cahdoge]

This thing heavily reminds me of the domino version of a full adder.

[@mrLegoLL]

If I remember correctly VanillaTweaks has a chunkloader datapack, which will keep any chunk that has a lodestone+netherstar permanently loaded. Perhaps that could be a solution to the unloading problems?

[@Brovioli]

1:05 Try maxing out your simulation distance, which would at least help with the larger builds, but it will still break if you leave that simulation distance.

[@zgrpi_rocks]

I've been binging your math content and love it! This video is especially excellent. I wanted to point out though: You recited exactly 69 digits of pi at the end of this video. Nice.

[@steviousmusic]

When I make my redstone CPUs, I always make sure to add plenty of redstone lamps so that you can see all the activity!

[@jek__]

Stack the one bit adders vertically to stay within the same loaded area

[@SnakeHoundMachine]

Did someone comment that you can go in settings and change the "simulation distance" so that things will keep calculating and updating farther chunks away from you.

[@AdamaxEP]

It's alive!

[@GhironGames]

why is this so relaxing??? I just was blessed by the algorithm

[@pies32]

I hope you know I really appreciate your content :)

[@whitestonejazz]

Thanks. For what it's worth, I really appreciate that there are people who enjoy what I make

[@RichConnerGMN]

you should use rethinking voxels shaders

[@somerandompersonintheinternet]

Seems like a good use-case for nether portal chunk loaders

[@battle00333]

3:58 I dub thee, the "Screamer Gate"

[@Jewelsonn]

There is something called simulation distance in the settings below the render chunk distance.

[@ethanchapman1776]

How do the wires not just make infinite loops? Whenever I have a piston above a sculk sensor, it runs forever and can't be disabled without removing the piston.

[@kyzo210]

So it looks like after the newest snapshot this thing won't break when unloading chunks, pretty cool

[@B0xF0xplays]

Now try calibrated skulk sensors

[@AT-gk3bt]

What exactly is it that breaks when the chunks are unloaded? Does the game not persist the state of skulk sensors like it does other redstone? Does it always break or are there certain cases/periodicities - if so, could be interesting to design a clock of clocks to fit in a chunk that could be used to restart other circuits; sort of like a master clock on an ALU.

[@blockmath_2048]

It doesn't persist the sounds that are traveling, which breaks the signals that are already in transit.

[@SirJerric]

I believe the "breakable what" in this case is the event that is visualized by a flying wifi particle. The game spawns them when an event happens and a loaded skulk sensor is within range, and then makes them "fly" at one meter per tick toward the sensor. I don't know the limits on when they do or do not appear (although I assume simulation distance is appropriately involved). What I do know is that the event-in-transit is not an entity nor a block, nor does it have a NBT value in the sensor it is targeted at. It cannot be persisted to disk, so it is not reloaded from disk.

[@AT-gk3bt]

@@SirJerric Thanks, fellow Andrew. OK so if it's just the 'flying wifi particle' that breaks, (IE the sounds), I feel like you could make an unbreakable clock by linking together some set of individual clocks such that at least one of them is in the non-sound-traveling part of their cycle at any given time of potential unloading, and could restart the others when reloaded just on the basis of block state. I don't really know how to go about building this but it seems doable and useful in principle? Would be interesting to see if Chris could pull it off.

[@SirJerric]

@@AT-gk3bt -- For the record, names had nothing to do with the decision to reply. ;) The potentially easiest solution within this workspace would be ensuring an extended sticky piston at all times. As long as it receives a block update following chunk reload, the retraction can be used to activate a sensor and launch a new cycle. What I don't know is if the powered state of a sensor is persisted to disk. If the sensor always loads out of cooldown, extra circuitry may be needed to provide the block update. An application like NBT explorer could help identify what is and is not recorded in the region file.

[@redthunder6183]

Damn, you beat me to it