The Little Man Computer - Paper Computers #2

[@okboing]

"A computer is just a calculator with a to-do list." Me, just now

[@ChrisStaecker]

I like it

[@MattMcIrvin]

I remember reading an introductory book on computers sometime in the 1970s that didn't formally introduce the Little Man but conceptually described a computer in terms that were very, very similar to this. Books of the time always described a computer as divided into control, arithmetic, input, output and storage units, or something along those lines. The illustrations showed a fanciful set of robot hands controlled by the control unit, that shuffled pieces of paper around, scribbled calculations, etc. I think the machine it described wasn't necessarily a stored-program computer, though, so the program running in the "control" unit was separate from the "mailboxes" containing the working memory.

[@alexanderren2043]

Loved the flow of this video. Thank you so much!

[@SmokeyChipOatley]

Anyone interested in paper computers and these type of coding focused exercises or puzzle games in general I highly recommend checking out the games by the studio Tomorrow Corporation called Human Resource Machine and 7 Billion Humans. I played both and while they are very similar to each other I absolutely loved every minute. What’s interesting is that I played both prior to learning about the little man computer (and paper computers in general) and now I’m convinced the developers were heavily influenced by it and other similar tools for learning computer coding. The games are available for Nintendo Switch (which is how I played them) and are on steam if I’m not mistaken.

[@holgermarklund8491]

And Android.

[@TheWinnieston]

Theres also the cardiac paper computer. Once in a while, you'll find one on Ebay. Currently trying to make one.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Yes- there is a very good page at instructables.com with precise print&cut plans for making your own cardiac.

[@steve8pi]

Yes, when I was in about 8th grade or so, the math teacher got some Cardiac sets to teach how computers work. That may have been about 1970 or so. We had never even seen a real computer.

[@ripp_]

This explains why my first computing techer taught us to go though things manually (he was kind of old)

[@Ferndalien]

I learned the Little Man Computer in 1983 in an introduction to computing course. Then we went on to IBM 370 assembly language. I liked PL-I better because you could do more with each line of code.

[@jesusjar11]

You should make a video about Lambda Calculus! Not exactly a paper calculator, but you surely can use it on paper!

[@romelanthonysbismonte908]

I like the sometimes metaphysical discussion I get and the general Richard Belzer as "Munch" vibe of this series.

[@zepic3173]

The Little Man computer is still used in a-level cs in the uk as an example of an assembly language.

[@spiderstheythem]

it would be so cool to see a video in this series about lambda calculus

[@failedsleep]

Wonderful video, thank you. I really enjoyed videos #1 and #2. Looking forward to Paper Computers #3 soon???? please? or could you at least reply with the names of the other paper computers so I could research them too please?

[@ChrisStaecker]

The easiest to find info about is the CARDIAC. But this probably won’t be episode #3…

[@failedsleep]

@@ChrisStaecker Thank you, already looking it up :) I look forward to your next video. Any hints on the other two or more you know? Have a great day.

[@thisnicklldo]

This is Searles Chinese room. If you believe him, the room cannot be said to exhibit understanding, much to the chagrin of AI researchers. Searle came up with the room in the early 80's, so well after this was devised. We have two very intelligent men with very different perspectives on the same idea - one says, at least, that it is a useful thing to teach the power of computers - the other says, at least, that it proves how limited computers are. The computer scientist will have little patience with the philosopher, and vice versa. Nice video, I hadn't come across the Little Man Computer before, despite studying Searle in the 80's.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Yes! I discussed the chinese room a little bit in my Monkey Multiplier video.

[@simonedoniselli657]

Could you please do more videos of this serie?

[@ChrisStaecker]

I’ve got several more planned! Probably won’t get to them for a couple months though…

[@simonedoniselli657]

@@ChrisStaecker thank you! I found out your channel a couple days ago and I have already seen a lot of videos! They are so interesting, thanks for your work

[@nashvillain171]

I'm guessing that the Bell Labs CARDIAC (CARDboard Illustrative Aid to Computation) is already on your list.

[@ChrisStaecker]

Yes- that’s the classic

[@miszcz310]

Wait, this is the same thing from Feinmann lecture about how computer works.

[@romelanthonysbismonte908]

By the way, will you be running a Turing Machine (as in a paper tape and head)?

[@milopfultz]

Realizing now that these instructions are very reminiscent of music trackers

[@ChrisStaecker]

Thanks! I never heard of music trackers but now I gotta check it out-

[@lancecoleman7440]

i dont have paper

[@TheWinnieston]

Also, looks like I must make another python emulator!

[@ChrisStaecker]

I didn't have time to mention them in the video, but there are several web-based Little Man Computer simulators.

[@evanbarnes9984]

Maybe do it the other way around, and try to write a Python interpreter that runs on a paper computer!

[@milopfultz]

The link for your Little Man Computer PDF doesn't work, btw

[@ChrisStaecker]

Thanks! Fixed it now-

[@milopfultz]

@@ChrisStaecker Thank you!

[@kadenruiz2757]

The open bulb currently shade because boundary previously switch failing a ashamed swim. same, awesome cost

[@okboing]

omg I thought you'd look as far as possible from young bill gates

[@ChrisStaecker]

I’m happy to look like young anybody-