The Computer that Controlled the Saturn V (Behind the Scenes ft Linus Tech Tips) - Smarter Every Day

[@SmarterEveryDay2]

I would like to point out several things: 1. Luke Talley is awesome. 2. Every single frame of this video requires more memory storage than this memory module is capable of handling. Think about that. 3. This is not the Apollo computer. This is the Saturn V computer. They're different. This steered the rocket. 4. People that support Smarter Every Day on Patreon are make all this happen. If you're watching this second channel video I realize that you're more likely to consider becoming a patron... therefore I will now provide a link in hopes that you consider it. ( www.patreon.com/smartereveryday )

[@candykanefpv]

#3 is a moo point because we're already on the second channel. (Friends reference)

[@frankbrito7959]

Love your channel sir :) Definitely feel smarter today.

[@TulioSounds]

Destin, your links don't work. Add a space before the end bracket! ;)

[@todewalzer]

That dude is fricken crazy smart, holy cow.

[@TheCountessAsuka]

Luke Talley has always been one of my favorite docents. He and my hubby talked programming engines for quite a while (hubby helped on the shuttle engines).

[@freshlysquosen]

Luke Tally needs his own youtube channel. I could listen to his knowledge and stories for hours.

[@juantelle1]

same

[@ZapAndersson]

Indeed

[@jca111]

I was just about to say the same

[@peterwhitby5965]

@@jca111 Could not agree more, I would subscribe in a moment :)

[@bobpreston1347]

absolutely!!! The guy is astonishing. What a great video...... thanks.

[@stilgaardfremen73]

The amount of knowledge he still retains ~50 years later, he's the epitome of "I forgot more about this than you'll ever know". What a treasure.

[@rix911]

@pyropulse Go to the moon sometime with how smart you are. Good luck, we're all waiting. Don't worry, I'm not holding my breath.

[@AHHHHHHHH21]

@@rix911 why is this an argument

[@michaelszczys8316]

Man that knows all about those old parts. How much you think this rare part is worth? I dunno, you have to go on Antiques Roadshow. Love it.

[@dylanfoote1602]

pyropulse you’re an idiot

[@hayleyxyz]

​@@AHHHHHHHH21 It's a KZbin comments section

[@florint.4620]

Luke (explaining how they processed the telemetry data): `…then you do this for about two weeks and finally you have enough to plot a graph by hand. So you put in all these numbers and you plot by hand and you say: "hmmm, that wasn't the problem after all. Oh, well, here we go again…"` :mindblown

[@bangaloretrailrider2472]

@pyropulse No the fact that the effort that goes unnoticed by todays programmers because they used advanced tools, came from the experience of people like Luke. Remember that we all are standing on the shoulders of Giants and be humbled and mind blown at the same time. For some of us engineers, the evolution of an idea is mind blowing because it feeds our passions. Hope I have explained enough..

[@Creationsbyelder]

Someone needs to sit down with Luke for a month and record and transcribe everything he tells them. When people such as this are gone, the world will be missing out on something very special. I could listen to him for hours and days on end.

[@johnrogers1251]

I hope I can meet Luke Talley some day!

[@JC-11111]

Look up "Steve Johnson Luke Talley NASA interviews". It'll bring up a 31 page interview he did with Luke in 2012. If you remove Luke's named from that search, it'll bring up more interviews he did with others at NASA, as well. They're all EXTREMELY informative.

[@bburnsga]

@@JC-11111 Thank you for that info!!

[@l0renzz0]

36:05 - "You remember all this it's unbelievable" "I'm just... I'm just making it up" What a humble guy

[@RomboutVersluijs]

SOrry but this smarter everyday guy thinks he smart saying it like that. Tge guy wasnt working for NASA because he looked good or something

[@l0renzz0]

@@RomboutVersluijs I think he is not surprised Luke developed the system back then. I think he is amazed by the fact he remembers all the details after 50 years.

[@RomboutVersluijs]

@@l0renzz0 But we cant really check he ;)

[@avongil]

At this point, i'm glad I finished swallowing my drink or it would have gone right up my nose.

[@deth3021]

May not be entirely a joke. Having worked on complex projects myself. If you really understand the concepts you just need to remember part of it and can infer the rest from the part you remember.

[@FCWW87]

9:02 “been there, flunked that test many times!” I love this guy! A human, not some superhuman, that was part of this group that figured out how to get to the MOON. That’s inspiring to me, and it should be for everyone else who has big dreams. Rock on Mr. Talley.

[@djp_video]

Where is the "Love" button? Mr. Talley is a national treasure.

[@wangruochuan]

kim jong un would like to know his location. and maybe offer a nice job if he plans to retire from the museum

[@eurybaric]

@@wangruochuan Hey i'm planning to retire

[@wangruochuan]

@@eurybaric the coal mine there could use some muscle like you. I can personally refer you to the supreme leader

[@raho2005]

*international

[@Pro1truth]

I was saying he is an international treasure...

[@Red1676]

What gets me is the Average person who goes to this museum, they really won't understand how crazy this stuff is. They will just walk up, say "neat box go boop boop," then carry-on without knowing how crazy that stuff was made. Lol

[@johngaydos4000]

I am a 70 year old engineer and this is one of the best videos I have seen. A true history lesson of what was going on when I was in college at Purdue University. Neil Armstrong and Gus Grissom are alumni and were in good hands with guys like Luke working on the space program.

[@SJ-cl4wq]

🙏🏻

[@yzotape529]

Hey I’m currently in the materials engineering program!

[@catmom2509]

Please do more interviews like this with people who worked on the Saturn V and Apollo program please, before they leave us for good.

[@davidbutera5985]

They don't build them like that anymore!

[@baschoen23]

Yes, please.

[@charlesdjones1]

Sadly the number that have already passed I'm sure is pretty high, I was glad to see someone of Luke's qualifications in such good health.

[@FlyingAce1016]

Thankfully he posted a new video 2hrs long on here interviewing luke about the saturn V

[@thomasgresham9453]

Luke is a national treasure. He hints at a casual understanding current systems and is a complete BOSS at remembering Saturn systems. I am in awe.

[@MaxAcceleration]

Luke Talley has such a natural ability to explain complex processes in easy to understand laymen terms. He's so smart and truly knows his stuff. Somebody should just document his experiences non-stop to capture his thoughts for future generations. What a brilliant man!

[@----.__]

That's always been a great litmus test for how well you know something; how easily you can explain something to someone who doesn't understand it. You find out pretty quickly where your own knowledge is lacking.

[@gpaine]

My great grandfather worked for IBM on the Apollo series rockets. He passed away before I was old enough to appreciate the learning and knowledge he had. I always dreamed of walking around Kennedy and having him explain these systems through his eyes. I imagine it would be a little like this. Thanks, Destin.

[@snaproll94e]

Greg Paine, my dad ran (literally pointed) the antenna that tracked the Atlas and Mercury rockets when they were launched. Unfortunately, he passed away before we got to have that walk you talked about. I feel for you. As a teenager he told me a few stories and the one that I remember most was that during the development launches, they had so many telemetry failures, they had to put telemetry on their telemetry, to figure out why it was failing. That just goes to show the unknowns they were trying to understand. Best personal regards, Don.

[@micahphilson]

snaproll94e, haha! I'm just glad that telemetry worked so they didn't have to keep going down the rabbit hole of putting telemetry on their telemetry to monitor their telemetry!

[@dianapennepacker6854]

Yeah mate. My grandpa and grandma were nuclear engineers helped raise me. I wish I took so much more interest into it, but didn't. Dustin needs to help reset time.

[@georgevantuyl5837]

God bless him.

[@wingman1525]

I could listen to Luke for another hour or two. You can really see how proud and passionate about his work he still is today. I really enjoyed this video, thank you.

[@bbgun061]

I need to go to Huntsville and hope Luke is there that day to talk to him. It will be sad when his generation is no longer here to tell us what they did.

[@acmenipponair]

It's even more sad, when you think of the fact, that our generations haven't achieved anything even slightly comparable to what they were able to ...

[@nature337]

@@acmenipponair We have some things to give ourselves credit for. We built the internet, modern computing, we took photos of a black hole and designed a gravity-based observatory(LIGO) that can measure the deformity of space to 1 part per 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!(10^21) We have particle colliders and are currently working on building an experimental fusion reactor (ITER). Yes, the work they did is amazingly impressive, but we keep pushing their innovations further and further. People are people, the past has had individuals of exceptional passion and skill, but the future will hold the same.

[@acmenipponair]

who is 'we'? most people in NASA are gen x or boomers. gen y or even gen z is not much interested in NASA and those who are, are still not main researchers.

[@nature337]

@@acmenipponair Most companies have experienced members in lead positions so its not an expression of how incompetent younger generations are, but rather how dedicated some of the senior members are. In other newer projects, nearly everyone was young because no one has any experience. You can look at the teams that develop ai (alphago for example) or that took a picture of a black hole, these younger projects have younger individuals working on it. Who is "we" is a good question, we is whoever you identify with I suppose, and although most researchers are older than me, I am getting into their field (physics), so I identify with their projects/interests.

[@Airguardian]

8:45 -"The plus c is the killer" As an engineering guy that has worked on gyros and vehicle orientation stuff this totally made my day... xD Thank you Destin for this PEARL of a video. That guy is nuts. He just recalls everything as if he was still working on it at the moment. NUTS.

[@smooooth_]

Loved that moment. Idk if it was just the comedy of it or the strange feeling of relating to an Apollo era NASA engineer on something seemingly small and mundane, as a very very humble undergrad half a century later.

[@thelastjuiceblender5915]

What does it mean the plus c is the killer?

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

@@thelastjuiceblender5915 yup, same question...

[@M.V.P.]

@@thelastjuiceblender5915 think he means that with every deviation of the planned course (wind, every change in angle etc), extra variables/ constants have to be added to the equasion and taken into account when correcting the course of the rocket, making it more and more complex as the flight goes on. That's why the don't want the gyroscope to be vibrating.

[@PropaneWP]

I really liked how he got more animated when they were talking about that stuff. I suppose he appreciated talking to someone who could relate.

[@gizmostudioshd]

I will watch this video every few months because it simply fascinates me. The two generations coming together to talk about the same thing from a different perspective is absolutley thrilling to watch.

[@GumbootZone]

36:04 "You remember ALL of this??" "Nah.. I'm just making it up." lol That was awesome.

[@EndoLP]

You can always, always tell when you've made an engineer happy by that little spark in the eye they get when you understand what they're talking about. The way Luke lights up when Linus gets going is so fun to watch. It's really an evergreen thing. As an EE specialized more towards telecom and VLSI stuff, this was INCREDIBLE. It always feels like black magic, cheating-the-system shenanigans every time I hear about something the Apollo engineers used to make their systems work. The fact they used a trick with electric fields and hand-woven metal grids for memory is both genius and absolutely insane. I love it. Thanks for the fantastic video, Destin!!

[@exi]

I visited the USS Hornet twice and i've seen that same spark everytime i start to ask "dumb questions". Go watch AGC Restoration if you haven't already. Especially part 24 where they meet the creators. Too bad most of the LVDC software has vanished. I wonder wether you could stil dump that core memory...

[@clonkex]

@@exi From what I've heard, yes you could. But idk how correct that is.

[@The.Chiefman]

ONLY 30 MINS... I could listen to this stuff for another 4 hours. Great stuff Destin. Keep up the great work

[@RomboutVersluijs]

Dude its 44 somehting

[@traetuusplays8987]

Does anyone else find themselves watching this at least once a week? Idk what it is, but this episode, along with the tori one are just mesmerizing.

[@alajibril]

you can tell that luke is passionate and still is about the saturn V and to me i think it seeing linus just calm and collected add to this video

[@adamdavis222]

I was just trying to estimate how many times I have watched it..I'm not sure what it is, either. The achievements of those brilliant young minds in those days, over such a brief period of time, is mind-blowing! The innovation and development that went into fitting the computing systems with the capacity required for these missions into the lightest, least expensive, and efficiency-maximizing package, single-handedly began the conceptual trend that we have seen over the past 60 years since, that as technology advances, it physically shrinks over time....and, as a direct result, becomes less dependent on stationary confinement; that is, it becomes more mobile.

[@DreadPirate94]

That’s known as wires 😂😂 This was like learning about the Saturn from my grandpa which would be pretty cool

[@jongeorg]

Exactly, it was like getting a chance to hear my grandpa's stories again. I hope they decide to do a series with him, or get him his own channel...

[@TheCloudhopper]

That quip made me laugh out loud.

[@OriginalThisAndThat]

"Are these fibers..." --- Duh brah! :P

[@reikoshea]

Apparently my watch time on these made youtube put this video on my recommended feed, but not the main video.

[@lifebleeds86]

@@Jetpower485 Same here, I always watch both.

[@JanStrojil]

Only 15 minutes in I realized that this is not the main video!

[@TorIvanBoine]

There's a main video???

[@rahulsawant_pikachu]

Same here :P

[@tmarritt]

This is the better video

[@antoniomaglione4101]

Mr Luke Talley left me speechless. Consider for a moment, rocket control and navigation techniques haven't changed in 50 years, the components used yes, they have changed, but they do the same thing - with a single exception: modern rockets doesn't have analog computer on board, they are full digital because both digital computers and A/D & D/A converters have become so speedy and capable they can handle any amount of real time data for rocket control. What surprised me is the amount of dedication, the indeep knowledge of the old and new rocket guidance / navigation, the engineering details of multiple generations of systems and parts. He must like his job so much so he kept it to this day; he could easily walk to the top of every engineering hierarchy if he just wants it. In the improbable case - Mr. Talley, you are reading my comment, have my most felt congratulation for your wide and indeep grasp of rockets. A thanks to Smarter Everyday for this excellent piece, it has been a pleasure to watch.

[@MatteoComensoli]

is he still alive? i heard that he passes away in march 2020 but i'm not sure if is him

[@LewisMCooper]

"Thermodynamics. Ugh" - Luke Talley, 2019. Exactly how every undergrad physics student feels

[@BirchPig]

That whole. Minute long digression into the woes of a 19(probably)50s engineering student talking about steam tables and integration parallels my own woes so completely and accurately its amazing. Much like how the math hasn't changed. Our pains have neither. I will always laugh at that clip from 8:45 to 9:43

[@lilblackduc7312]

..“I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.'” - Mae West

[@shakikahnaf9783]

The mechanical engineers as well

[@lilblackduc7312]

@@shakikahnaf9783 You must 'Become One' with the science...

[@wearcognition]

Linus: "Got it" Narrator: " "He did not get it" Jokes aside, fantastic conversation.

[@trapical]

"Can you tell me about the technical detailing of these data cables?" "Boy, that's just wire."

[@martiddy]

I lol'ed at that part, Linus was expecting some cool explanation about what it does.

[@tomwolf2603]

LOL that answer "Thats known as wires.." :D

[@AmeliaBadeliaForever]

Got em! 😅

[@cosmicraysshotsintothelight]

Foghorn Leghorn!

[@Brando56894]

@@cosmicraysshotsintothelight now...now...I say...listen here boy....those are just wires

[@robsadler5605]

Please, please bring Luke Talley back. I loved this video!

[@joesretrostuff]

Agreed. Just love listening to him talk

[@rickpolar]

Absolutely love the enthusiasm. What a legend

[@BrianWardPlus]

This video is such a treasure. To be able to talk to someone who has such knowledge of that project. It's incredible.

"flunked that test many times" man that makes me feel a whole lot better hearing that from a guy like him. I almost quit engineering after failing a difeq test.

[@motomcchesney]

Scotty oof

[@dougschmucker8212]

@pyropulse actually, you do need to say it. it clearly makes you feel better to put other people down. you might not want to talk to others who earned similar and higher degrees as it will clearly send you into a tail spin. god bless, you.

[@robertmaddox6162]

That class wrecked me so hard, super good the second time though lol. All depends on the professor I guess.

[@neby_nebs]

pyropulse yea.......I’m a journalist and found this video through procrastination. y’all are INSANE 😭😭

[@brodudewalsh3425]

That's so relatable

[@Nobilangelo]

36:21 'This was quite a system, really.' That must be one of the great understatements of all time.

[@dorothygray6461]

"Those C's I hate them" "ugh thermodynamics" Everysingle engineer ever lol

[@pegleg2959]

@@dorothygray6461 why did you just copy and paste a top comment like noone would notice? Likes are meaningless, likes you didn't earn are even more so. Pathetic.

[@Real28]

I love that Luke was almost offended when you showed him the Logic board you had. He had this face of "Wait. That's illegal" hahaha And yes, I came back after 2 years to watch this again. Luke is incredible. What a legacy he has left our civilization with.

[@bburnsga]

Mr. Talley really wanted that unit. Too bad Destin didn't give it to him. I understand that he wouldn't want to let it go, but if anyone deserves to have that board, it's Mr. Talley!

[@yafuker6046]

I came back too, just to get the "charge" of "this was 1960s stuff; imagine what are they doing NOW?!"

[@Shadowd4rkness]

"We steered the rocket" *super happy and proud face* THIS GUY IS IT. PROTECT HIM.

[@ItsExetic]

Don't you love when a 40 minute video feels like just a couple of minutes have passed? Absolutely loved it mate! More like this in the future, please!

[@Infidel7153]

Luke Talley is a national treasure how lucky we are to have men such as him .

[@TXLorenzo]

Men like Mr. Talley are simply an irreplaceable resource. We will see what the current "woke" generation will do in the future.

[@paulbaker9879]

@@TXLorenzo Ok boomer.

[@kurtvonfricken6829]

@@TXLorenzo They will be spending much time on their hurt feewings.

[@TXLorenzo]

@@kurtvonfricken6829 Yep, it will be kind of hard building a moon rocket while you are in your "safe space" being all you can be as a social justice warrior.

[@Xyz-ij6rh]

​@@TXLorenzo just because those "worriors" are loud does not mean all are that way people will allways continue to push there limits but it was and will be just a small part of the society who accomplish it

[@spotandjake1008]

I could listen to luke talk all day he just seems to have so much knowledge and is very humble about it.

[@widowmaker777]

It's so rare to see Linus relatively speechless. He's there to learn.

[@lisauihlein890]

Wow

[@stevethea5250]

@@lisauihlein890 LUCIEN TALLEY

[@AndZzo101]

yeah, he kinda found his master. what a moment here

[@arnjones6028]

Linus "got it"

[@gtafreak73]

Luke is basically a Linus from a different era of computer technology, so that's no surprise to me (:

[@andrewgarley1400]

His face, "Where did you get that" I thought he was going to confiscate it lol

[@PSMWRX143]

Same lol!

[@TheEDFLegacy]

Nah. He was checking it for drop capability. 😉

[@ChiefEagleCry]

9:43

[@hamoodhabi1850]

Yur a pepsi lover

[@brianhurt3801]

The look on his face with relief gesture , he wanted to say that's why that rocket test failed in 1958 , because that Rubik's cube of information didn't make it onto the rocket , instead the guy asked about its value and he take it to the antiques road show , that was a laugh ...

[@anthonyt4981]

I wish these scientists taught at our universities. Always wanted to learn from their experience.

[@Demicron]

No that would be called offensive and mean....

[@richarddixon70]

Like it is sometimes said, "Those who can, Do. Those who can't, teach."

[@SJ-cl4wq]

@@richarddixon70 Also depends on personal factors. Not about skills only.

[@Angie-qi8pt]

Anyone can talk like they are an intellectual if they do it for enough decades tho. That doesn't take away from the value of the person as someone who experienced it, but professors could do, they just do many more things and invent. They teach an abundance of things rather than one thing they did and only after a few years in the field, where as this, again, is decades of repeat. Still valuable, not that impressive. But whatever makes ppl feel better about themselves and hate on others who choose a different path. Some schools do bring in people to talk about their position and experiences, but it's a rare opportunity and I agree should be implemented more. You will learn these things when you are hired. Ofc, I guess you don't have to prove too much, it's just a lottery since ppl who hate understanding their field are usually hired. Its called networking and biases Lastly, the ppl who invented these were researchers with PhD and masters. Not bachelor's where generally you're hired to do tech work. Those ppl wouldn't hate on professors.

[@jwadaow]

@@Angie-qi8pt it is no longer impressive to have a PhD or masters.

[@vinceabbott5438]

This is perhaps my favorite video on KZbin. Every time I come back I am awestruck, and it makes me proud as a human being that we were able to accomplish such a feat. A true milestone for humanity that will no doubt be remembered until history itself is history.

[@cojones8518]

"So can you tell me about the cabling, is it fiberoptic, copper..." "That's known as wires." LOL 38:50

[@chrisbanbury]

"Does it use advanced" "No."

[@jbdallara]

The most funny part, is when he just go from "It's known as wires" to "ok it's coaxial, and the insulation is teflon" and turn to explain a lot of details about wirings in the span of 15 seconds

[@ImperatorClass]

@@jbdallara it's probably unfolding in his mind as he is speaking

[@ImperatorClass]

@D Hill Maybe, but I'm not so sure. It was a substantial period of time ago, and he remembers a staggering amount of it. I would say his memory is probably laid out in a path, and so when he talks about it, his recollection continues to unfurl, and so he is able to elaborate more.

[@sloma111]

@@jbdallara the outer coat aluminium and center made of copper. Common coaxial tech even now.

[@dogsnmotorcycles]

This is why we think of rocket scientist as really smart. We take computing power for granted as it's a part of everyday life, but seeing where it all came from is beyond fascinating...

[@Hagop64]

Everyone is talking about the "those are wires" comment but the biggest smack down is when Linus is talking about gyroscopes trying to explain that modern devices have "really small gyros that are basically printed on a chip" and without hesitation the (awesome) old man nods and says "that's a piezoelectric transducer."

[@vicroc4]

Only real difference is how big they are. Piezoelectrics have been around since at least World War II.

[@ZeykronZ]

27:40

[@lukeperry1891]

He looked agitated in that moment. Like ‘shut up you dumb kid, you dont know anything’

[@RWZiggy]

@@vicroc4 Heh, you're one world war off, first active sonar using piezo built during WW I in 1917 to make and receive 50KHz signal.

[@gordonfreeman9368]

@@lukeperry1891 he is dumb. He just taks fast, so one may think he is smart.

[@kelly806]

The Luke Talley's are the ones I would like to know more about. I've read nearly every book written about the astronauts...now I want to know about the people who put the program together and made it function. This was an awesome video.

[@bburnsga]

I totally agree!!

[@tylerdurden788]

I never knew any of this.

[@parkerlreed]

The longer videos are so under appreciated. Thanks for all the work!

[@EisenFeuer]

I don't know, I think 10% of the main channel viewers stopping by here is a pretty great turnaround... most of the the people who'd want to see it are probably here!

[@lukapapez]

I don't think they are under appreciated. It's only that a lot of people don't have enough time to view them or want to see more different topics in short time.

[@deoeers]

“That’s known as wires”. I love this guy.

[@simplywonderful449]

Even better with the drawl: "waaars"!

[@MrSpruce]

(38:54)

[@Corn0nTheCobb]

@@MrSpruce thank you. It's annoying when people don't leave timestamps

[@arnoldatuhaire3906]

@@Corn0nTheCobb you should watch the whole thing😉

[@Corn0nTheCobb]

@@arnoldatuhaire3906 I did, but it can be hard to go back and try to find one line in a 44 minute video

[@Fester11235]

That "+C" once cost me a perfect score on a calculus exam.

[@StreuB1]

Every one of us.....literally.

[@mushugordon1]

Should've negotiated for a "+C" onto your grade.

[@peterfireflylund]

As well it should have!

[@Huegell]

I was really surprised that none of my tutees knew about the constant part. Apparantly it is not taught anymore at German schools

[@Liamv4696]

I'm happy with C+'s on any of my exams 🤣

[@WrainTravels]

"This was actually an amazing system, really" I love the amount of pride Talley still shows for this project

[@WATERDOG300]

Every aspect of the Apollo program required so much innovation and hard work. A friend of the family worked for ILC Dover, the spacesuit contractor, he worked for years on the wrist joint of the gloves. So a lot of talented people toiled for years sometimes on seemingly small parts of the program. But without every part working as needed, the missions would not have been possible. The most complex of machines is only as strong as it's weakest parts. So all who worked on Apollo deserve a shout out and a big THANK YOU!

[@hamaki__]

These kind of interviews are so important! The engineers involved must be interviewed and their stories must be told for future generations!

[@mitachesser578]

More Luke Talley!!! Linus: “Are those fiber optics?” Luke: Those are wires...fiber optics was not even thought of.”

[@1pcfred]

Well, they had the technology to make fiber optics by the time the Saturn was built. But it did take folks a while to think of something practical for lasers to do. Solid state lasers were still a while off too. They did have plain LEDs though.

[@Ktulu789]

I'm thinking of Luke's response: sending light through a fiber? Pfffft, we've sent THIS to The Moon! I also imagine coaxial cables more resilient than early days fiber optics and waaaay more tested xD

[@1pcfred]

@@Ktulu789 what they did clearly worked.

[@Ktulu789]

@@1pcfred I was joking xD

[@Ktulu789]

@Jeremiah Bullfrog you are right! I think it was cheap not only for it was easier to get but also hiddenite hydrogen is flammable, so more risks, and helium is atomically smaller, so easier to have leaks. Nitrogen was then not only cheap but also better for the task in many other ways.

[@dsdy1205]

What I find really inspiring is that Luke also knows exactly what he'd change about the entire setup if done again today. He didn't just stop learning about electronics after retiring, he's been keeping up with the state of the art, still as engaged as he was when he was a young engineer with fuzz behind the ears.

[@JoseAlfonsoChavez]

Best 45 minutes of my day! Thanks for sharing! :D

[@strogelvauss]

I'm a Computer Science student and space flight has always been fascinating to me so those were one of the most interesting 45 minutes of my life. Luke is an awesome guy, I could listen to him talk for hours.

[@davegusick]

44 Minutes later and I'm like "DON'T END, KEEP GOING!". What a national treasure Luke is... thanks for posting this video... literally the best I've ever seen on the Saturn V / Apollo program

[@michaelbudney7449]

Destin, I've watched this many times over. It's one of the greatest interviews ever filmed. I have a feeling Luke has much more to say.

[@LoneWolfZ]

This guy remembers exact details of complex projects he worked with 50 years ago. I can't even remember what I had for lunch yesterday. Also, dayyum. He knows way too much stuff. Usually an engineer focuses on a fairly narrow window and specializes in it. He seems to be all over the place. Electronics, physic, RF....just WOW.

[@shimstaekwondoshimstaekwon5010]

Everyone is talking about the "those are wires" comment but the biggest smack down is when Linus is talking about gyroscopes trying to explain that modern devices have "really small gyros that are basically printed on a chip" and without hesitation the (awesome) old man nods and says "that's a piezoelectric transducer."

[@bob15479]

Passion

[@DerDermin8tor]

Back in the days engineers practiced what they learned- a lot! Todays engineer only a percentage

[@RWZiggy]

​@@shimstaekwondoshimstaekwon5010 and there is double and triple burn for Linus after that. Luke mentions laser gyroscopes used on spacecraft and aircraft now. Also mentions worked on other advanced space projects since moon missions, he mentions Skylab gyros periodic recalibration procedure. Really Linus, you're going to tell that Luke Talley something about gyroscopes?, lolz lolz.

[@NHGUIDE88]

Used to be, us engineers had to be familiar with every aspect of our products...not anymore. now it is compartmentalization. almost to a fault.

[@supergeek1418]

During this same time frame, I was in the navy, in the Polaris Sub Service. I served as an electronics technician working on navigation aids electronics. This included LORAN C, SatNav satellite navigation (the predecessor to GPS), secure sonars, etc. Part of the SatNav system was the AN/UYK-1 computer. It ran at a whopping, breakneck clock speed of 100KHZ. It contained a core main memory module very much like that one: 8192 16 bit words (INCLUDING a parity bit!); thus we had 8192 15 bit words of usable memory. It was (thusly) a 15 bit OCTAL machine. One interesting thing about our memory modules was that the boot loader was "hard woven" into the memory stack! There was a special wire that snaked its was through the first 77 (Octal) words of memory, that (when you pushed the "boot" switch) pulsed certain cores, setting those bits to ones or zeros. This bit pattern was a simple program that would read the attached paper tape reader one five bit frame at a time, until it had assembled a 15 bit word, which it then stored into memory, incremented the storage location, and repeated. State of the art! Heck, the LORANs used (what they called) "integrated circuits". That meant that they used transistors AND vacuum tubes! But... it worked! My boat once did a FOT - which meant that we shot 4 missiles (outfitted with telemetry packages, instead of weapons) from just off of the Canary Islands into the Caribbean Sea. They all landed within 150 yards of each other. As a matter of fact, 3 of them were within 150 *FEET* of each other and the target zone. Absolutely *amazing* given what we were working with! A long time ago, for sure - like 50 years...

[@jamesfewell2100]

Awsome.... story it's still amazing to me how it works and was able to send man to the moon..mindblown way out..haaahaa have a blessed day...stay safe out there..👍🤓👊

[@geoffreyvoeth3993]

Well Gee Wiz, The AN/SQS23 PAIR also had one of those core thingy inside woven by the delicate hands of beautiful Indian Maidens.

[@supergeek1418]

@@geoffreyvoeth3993 Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the computerized version the AN/SQQ-23? As I recall, that was the *upgrade* to the SQS...

[@operator0]

What kind of underwater navigation did you have?

[@supergeek1418]

@@operator0 Our primary navigation system was the SINS (Ships Inertial Navigation System), of which we had 2. These were continually monitored and updated by fixes from one of our 2 on board LORAN-C units, our AN/BRN-3 SatNav system, celestial fixes from the Type XI periscope system and/or depth fixes from our AN/BQQ3 precision secure depth finder. The LORAN-C had the advantage of being a VLF signal that could be received while submerged. Similarly, the BQQ3 fixes didn't require raising a mast to obtain a fix. The SatNav, and Type XI periscope fixes did require an excursion to periscope depth, and raising a mast above the surface, however. We usually knew where we were within less than 100 yards, which (given the size of the ocean) was plenty.

[@roul3688]

“How much is that worth?” “I don’t know, you’d have to go to the Antique Road Show” LMAO

[@ryanmj42]

Dustin- “Can you tell me what that does???” Luke Talley- 0110110100110101010 0101001011110101001 1010010101010101010 “This plugs in to that board.”

[@das250250]

In time this will become an important historical document

[@tonydinkel]

It already is.

[@derekdowns6275]

It's time.

[@ntnwwnet]

@ 8:54 “I hate those +Cs... stupid constants.” Aka me in calculus.

[@stevenm8970]

He also talks about thermodynamics? Is he a mechanical engineer? I would have thought electronics engineer, or maybe such a thing didn't exist back then.

[@micahphilson]

Steven m, he worked with IBM on the electronics, so an electrical engineer, but he also learned everything about the rockets. Entropy and thermodynamics are very much so a part of engineering in general, especially in these systems.

[@micahphilson]

Calculus? Dang, you haven't taken chemistry and physics, man do those things get annoying! And he was talking about entropy and stuff, I only had a general understanding of those from general chemistry, I know how crazy, detailed, and annoying those C's eventually become! I can't imagine how grateful modern rocket scientists are for computers to be able to calculate all those things for them!

[@floorpizza8074]

100 years from now, this video will be an important piece of irreplaceable history.

[@TechnoHackerVid]

@Smee Self I mean, provided the standards defining the H.264 and AAC formats are preserved well, they'll survive, especially with open source implementations

[@marco_ramirez23_]

@@TechnoHackerVid oke, hope so

[@Cynsham]

Just hearing Luke Talley talking about what they had to do to construct the modules and analyze the data was sooooo fascinating. 50 years after the fact and he still remembers all these details, I can’t believe it. It’s kinda just unbelievable how smart the guy is

[@simplywonderful449]

Many of these guys LIVED for their work - it's like those who work for the railroad - they LOVE what they're doing, which is why they keep doing it! It's not just a job.

[@Zetharion1]

I have so much respect and admiration for the intellect of the engineers that managed to get that computer as operational as it was.

[@lukeperry1891]

This guy’s brain is on a totally different level. To recall it all from decades gone by is astounding

[@stephenholland6328]

One way this is easier to remember is that all the parts are visible. Each box did a thing. The evaporative cooling was fun to hear. But you’re right, of course. For the cooling system he remembered that it cycled from 50-60 under computer control of the water valve.

[@carrcohol]

What I've seen in some of my engineering tech experience is, they looked at things thousands of times (look back to the troubleshooting strategy on paper) PLUS these guys had lives on the line, AAAANNND the nation watched on because we were competing world wide. I was Navy, so the Admiral comment was totally a thing too. I.e. memorizing stuff to prove you're smarter than you own buddies at work... I Could go on. Good comment!

[@wmeemw994]

It is also the diversity & acquired knowledge of so many systems, instruments, aerospace, nuclear powered submarines & weapons systems.

[@IgneusBeats]

He was into it all his life, its his field.. ofc he will remember..

[@lukeperry1891]

@Peter Evans this is why i commented. And remembered the gyros gets pulsed in increments of .5 g’s. And they crazy sobs did it with 28mbs of memory.

[@spr_]

i love when videos feel like 5 short minutes but are actually almost 10x longer

[@3366larryandrews]

This was a fun interview. Learning about the various phases of the space program from the 1960s reveals the level of competence of the entire program and its people.

[@Will-qr7rf]

Destin: "How valuable would you say that is?" Talley: "hehe I have no idea you'd have to go to 'Antique Roadshow'"

[@vanekirk]

Outstanding field trip! I had a blast “in school” today. Luke Talley is a national treasure. My favorite quote; “Those are wires”. LOL!

[@escarfangorn]

Linus: Is this fibreoptic? Is it copper? Tally: That's known as wires. I'm dead. :D Rolling under the desk laughing. Reminded me of my granpa. No time for BS. "Son, these them here are wires. It's called TECH-NO-LO-GY!". ;) OMFG... I'm still giddy. That made my day.

[@Tenuki2]

In my humble opinion - it was not a stupid question by Linus. Military and space tech is usually ahead of mass production and especially when we are talking about hand-made stuff it could easily be quite advanced for the time. Sure I get the hilarious answer side, but cudos for the question.

[@escarfangorn]

@@Tenuki2 1. I didn't say it was a stupid question, just that the response was golden. 2. FO for data transmission were developed into a workable form and patented in 1965 (there were some earlier versions in medicine AFAIR) and NASA did use them in the Apollo program, just not in this case. They were used in cameras that were sent to the Moon. More wide spread use started in the 70ties.

[@larrysmith6797]

It was a stupid question asked by an ignorant kid.

[@monad_tcp]

no bullshit like USB, just wires sending analog signals !

[@aorusaki]

hahahaha

[@gpabui5256]

Luke studied computer but he knows thermodynamics, gyros, physics and lots of other engineering fields. I was a mech engr so I can keep up with his mech talks, but I can’t understand about computer science. He is amazing. I wish he would be a professor to teach us. So much knowledge on his brain. Love the video ❤️❤️. Thank you.

[@telx2010]

Yet he cant go to the moon like neil did 50+ years ago😂😂😂

[@Shinkajo]

He didn't actually study computers in school so when he came to work at first he knew nothing about them. He learned on the job and then he was sent to study computer science.

[@MarioRobles93]

"Those C's I hate them" "ugh thermodynamics" Everysingle engineer ever lol

[@jebdiankerman5029]

@@patrickb8345 think of the C as a magic random number that pops out of no where when you do something called integral, which is essentially calculating area under a curve

[@OscarASevilla]

@@patrickb8345 so here is the thing. If you take an integral of something, youre figuring out the equation it leads to, in a sense. Since we are going in reverse, instead of downsizing the equation like when taking a derivative, then we must account for the possibility that there may be a constant

[@Whipster-Old]

What a hero. Endless respect for these engineers.

[@matteofalduto766]

@@patrickb8345 Calculating the integral of a function means: I'll describe to you the slope of a function, and you'll guess how that function looks like. Now, knowing the slope allows you to reconstruct the "shape" of that function, but won't tell you how high or low that function is above or below the horizontal axis of your plot... It's as if I told you: I have been driving on a road that for the first kilometer climbed at +5% slope and then, for the following 2km descended at -2% (I didn't have an altimeter on board but just a gyroscope that measured the pitch of the car). With just this information, you can tell that if I started at sea level, after 1 km I had to be at 50 m altitude, and after another 2 km I had to be at 10 m altitude. The fact that I started at sea level is, however, an assumption of yours; it cannot be deduced from the information I gave you (that is just the slope of the road I drove). It could also be that I started at 100 m, so after 1 km I was at 150 m, and at the end of the road at 110 m. So all you can say is that my initial altitude was 0+c m, after 1 km was 50+c m, and at the end 10+c m, where c is a constant value that cannot be determined just by the integral: it has to be guessed and kept track of in some other way. In some applications, this is very difficult and error-prone.

[@samygiy1]

@@matteofalduto766 good explanation

[@austinle0]

Been on KZbin since 2007 and this is getting added to my top 10 favorite videos

[@shaihulud6725]

What's apparent from this video is that the fact that we made it to the moon and back is INSANE. For the first time I understand why going to the moon is considered one of the greatest accomplishments of man. Dealing with the number of variables with little computing power is crazy, but it was tested and done in such an ingenious way that it made it all possible.

[@MrShnazer]

There is no we.

[@toastyovens8777]

andd going to the moon was faked

[@johnp139]

@@toastyovens8777 idiot

[@joseangelhr]

This video should be called "Interview with Luke Talley." WOW! What an amazing engineer and how he easily describes everything into simple terms that even a 10 year old can understand. Great interview!

[@edkrassenstein5534]

I am getting nervous seeing Linus just hold a priceless piece of history

[@dreggory82]

I was looking for this comment, I was about to ask, does anyone else think linus shouldn't be holding that module. He always drops stuff on his channel.

[@__Ben]

@@dreggory82 it's fine, if he dropped it he would kick it to 'arrest the momentum'

[@KingJellyfishII]

@@__Ben it's fine, it's a computer that can correct for any sudden acceleration.

[@snepNL]

@Jokus Jodokus knuppel

[@deanwoodward8026]

On a carpeted floor. Without ground straps. Never mind physical shock, a good static discharge could destroy that in ways you'd never see and could be nearly impossible to detect. Was it built to handle that? Probably... but that thing is literally priceless.

[@raynash4117]

This is exactly why Neil Armstrong was so humble about what he did because of how men and women did all this to make the moon landing possible.

[@DavGreg]

Neil Armstrong was an Engineer and knew that he was standing on a mountain of engineering talent and money.

[@gonzocrunch8356]

@@DavGreg no he was a testpilot.

[@Man_Emperor_of_Mankind]

@@gonzocrunch8356 Test Pilots aren't just random pilots thrown in experimental aircraft, they have significant involvement with Aerospace Engineering

[@tnasburypl]

He never went. If he did he would have died being exposed to X-rays. Please understand that humans cannot get off this planet beyond the protective magnetosphere.

[@Man_Emperor_of_Mankind]

@@tnasburypl Are you suggesting that we can be shielded while on the planet, but shielding through other means is not possible?

[@PratikNag]

I’ve noticed whenever linus wanted to take the command, Luke hit him soft with humour and make linus realise that he’s still in the wheels. 😂

[@indymorrell8264]

I graduated college in 2019(just over 2.5 years ago) with a degree in pure mathematics, and now work as a software engineer. I come back to this video every few months to see if what I've learned of modern programming can help me understand anything that Luke Talley says in a more fundamental way. I certainly have, and this man's charisma and knowledge are infectious. Love to get smarter every day!

[@thinkcasting3182]

Pro tip: don't be LGBTQ cringe like Linus Tech Tips. It's ok if you're in Linus Tech Tips hometown Tel Aviv but not in USA. OK, Buckwheat?

[@indymorrell8264]

@@thinkcasting3182 wtf get outta here weirdo. it's 2022 worry about yourself and not others

[@thinkcasting3182]

@@indymorrell8264 kid-tard, you posted a "look at me" comment to invoke emotional concern from others. Obviously logic is not your thing.

[@indymorrell8264]

@@thinkcasting3182 What does LGBTQ have to do with my comment tho, thats the question.

[@freeradical431]

Coolest "show n tell" ive seen in 45 years! This video is an important piece of history now.

[@lepmuhangpa]

Great video.

[@derekdowns6275]

Luke Talley: National Treasure.

[@kenvitale6118]

Definitely a treasure. I was in awe of these guys when I worked at NASA. It doesn't seem so many years ago (1970) when we worked in the "glass house" and had to remove our wrist watches due to the magnetic cores generated so much magnetism they would cause parts of our watches to get magnetized over time and cease to keep accurate time.

[@michaelszczys8316]

The cooling system he was describing wasn’t necessarily magic just a ‘ total loss ‘ refrigeration system like what they use on some refrigerated truck trailers.

[@ChrisDarby80]

He's more of a treasure protector... Couldn't help myself

[@BareSphereMass]

42:25 "I could see little green men running around, OMG the Americans are back!" LMFAO!

[@Jimmeh_B]

A little bit of beer hit my screen when he said "I'm just making it all up"

[@Fraggaa]

@@Jimmeh_B yes :D i laughed so hard, i had to pause the video. Luke is the best

[@thefirstmonster420]

Imagine he knows the truth and is making jokes about it xD

[@benjaminwheeldon9853]

And the moon conspiracists just went through the roof. Hahahah.

[@jamesgrimwood1285]

"You don't have to put that in" :D

[@Plateaudweller]

My god Luke has had an amazing career and thank god he is able to explain all that tech back into something a lay person can understand. If you are watching Luke...thank you so much for the mental stimulation.

[@mikebowman9844]

I'm blown away. I'm so impressed with Luke and the dedication of the generation of engineers and technicians who built this system. I've been in the semiconductor manufacturing industry since 1989 as an engineer and have a good idea of the magnitude of the teamwork required to design and implement something of this complexity. The engineers and technicians who built this were doing so while I was still an infant in 1967. We have a legacy to live up to going forward.

[@jabruli]

Seeing the nearly 100% perfect test flight of Starship that just and happened and what SpaceX is trying to achieve with Starship, I think that the legacy will be lived up to.

[@Nesmaniac]

This is amazing. The fact that Luke Talley can remember and explain all this after 50 years has passed just shows how his mind is so sharp and he's at a whole other level than most humans. Very interesting thanks so much for sharing this.

[@ff-qf1th]

Well, I think that doing such an amazing thing as taking part in NASA space programs isn't something you'd forget for the rest of your life, regardless of how sharp you are. Of course you do have to be quite sharp to be there and be part of projects like that in the first place.

[@thinkcasting3182]

Isn't that great. Let's get some of those LGBTQ ear rings on Luke to rub it into his face what a failure the subsequent generations were.

[@yt_bharat]

Seriously amazing fellow

[@bburnsga]

@@ff-qf1th Too, it sounds like there was a LOT of repetition in what they did back then! Still, it's amazing how sharp his mind is after all those years.

[@Ravie1]

"If you're watching a 30 (40) minute video you're into this stuff". Lol nope, this is just beyond fascinating and it's nice to hear this stuff discussed in a relatively accessible fashion. Given my background is calculus and one semester of college physics I figured that this would be a lot more confusing but it's surprisingly digestible. I just really appreciate being able to comprehend the ingenuity and effort it took to make even the minute seeming parts of this amazing achievement, it makes me wish i'd spent more time at the DC aerospace museum last time I was in Washington.

[@jeffhoward5910]

GREETINGS FROM ISRAEL. The space museum in Huntsville is awesome. I took my son there a few years ago. He didn't speak English yet and there was a staff member who guided us through everything with patience and kindness so that I could explain and translate. It is truly a wonderful place for people of all ages and technical backgrounds.

[@papah8]

Back in 1965 I taught sailors in FBM Navigation about the NAVDAC (NAVigation DAta Computer) MK II Mod 4 which had a 10k core memory very similar to the one Talley was talking about . However, the computer itself was made up of 2N393 NPN transistors and discrete resistors that make up a NOR gate. Two NOR gates hooked up back to back made up a FlipFlop. 26 FF made up a serial shift register. This computer was the center of the NAV Center on a 608 Class FBM submarine. It received inputs from the three MK III SINS (Ships Inertial Navigation Systems) using gyros just like what Talley was talking about. We had to "Reset" those SINS once every 8 hours and just before a launch of the Poseidon missile. I was on the Sam Houston SBN609 in 1976 when she test launched three missiles and the report back was that they landed in the Pickle Barrell. HISTORY

[@terpcj]

This makes me feel so nostalgic. I learned about core memory and logic modules back in elementary school (my dad and his friends were keen to elucidate these things to a precocious kid while they were working on the Mariner and other automated missions -- many nerds love to show how much they know). When I grew up and worked on space systems in the 80s, the encyclopedia of knowledge you needed to know just seemed like "pfft, well of course you'd learn that". Lots of 3" binders full of info, let me tell ya. There ain't nothing like being immersed in this stuff. So much fun.

[@3.k]

I’m amazed time after time again, how many puzzle pieces had to be put together for such a mission, and how much work and knowledge went into the tiniest piece.

[@AtlantaTerry]

... and all provided by low bid contractors.

[@billc5378]

Luckily, a lot was already figured out on prior missile/rocket research/projects spanning at least a decade or more. Taking tech from working missiles and adapting it.

[@3.k]

@@billc5378 Such a project will never be possible without “standing on the shoulders of giants.” Still amazing, or even more, considering it a culmination of human knowledge. :)

[@mellio72]

One of my favorite videos on the internet. Great interaction between them. Two very smart people. One that enjoys the teaching the way it was done and one who loves learning the way it was done.

[@cogito451]

I could watch hours of footage about the Saturn V and its computers. Keep it coming.

[@floydmaseda]

"Thermodynamics. UGH!" *I know them feelz*

[@JC-dt7jv]

A man in his 70's remembers and still talks about his professors in college.

[@Superphilipp]

*Ther-moe-DYE-name-ics. Ugh. I love his accent.

[@ibonitog]

It's hard but it's amazing and rewarding once you get into it! :)

[@Oxalid]

...said every electrical engineer ever.

[@jeromethiel4323]

Had an instructor call it "thermogaddamits", because there's always some heat exchange you cannot pin down, so it's really just your best guestimate as to what's really going on. The fact that we have it down as well as we do (which isn't perfect even now) is pretty amazing. This is an important lesson, i think, to learn from all this. There were things you could not measure or predict with any real accuracy, but with enough experimentation and clever work arounds, you can get a system that works well enough. Sometimes that's the best you can do.

[@WarpFactor999]

As my first job fresh out of the Navy, I worked for a small directional drilling company in Houston that was populated with engineers from the Apollo missions. They built a portable computer for oil rig side use that used the Norton PDP-11/03 mil spec emulator used on the Apollo missions. My job? The engineer that designed the intrinsically safe rig side computer quit right after designing it. I had the job of reverse engineering and documenting it. The amazing part of the story is, 3-4 years later the DEC PDP 11/73 came out (newer - faster computer). It wasn't as fast as the Norton PDP 11/03 emulator!

[@kylek6922]

This must be my dozenth time watching this video and I swear it just keeps getting better every time seeing two of my favorite creators together nerding out about two of my favorite things, computers and space. Hopefully we'll see another collab someday.

[@Hevlikn]

Destin: "Thanks for watching a 30min video" Also Destin: a 50% margin of error

[@DaRealBzzz]

Well he's right, as the other 14 minutes are duplicates of the main channel video, which I'm a bit pissed about.

[@familycraftdad]

That was great! I loved the chemistry between Linus and Luke. Looked like they could chat about this stuff for hours!

[@dylanpritchard4981]

I thought Luke looked annoyed eventually

[@xWood4000]

@@dylanpritchard4981 That's true, Linus did interrupt him at inopportune times so I'm not surprised.

[@familycraftdad]

A lot of people hate on Linus. But he just geeks out about this stuff, and I think Luke enjoyed the fact that, hey, I've got a guy who gives a dang. But I agree, when he started getting into thermal dynamics, Luke was forced to talk about specifics he normally doesn't have to worry about when he gets visitors like this... and I agree, he seemed a bit frustrated... but I don't think that's Linus' fault. Luke was just not prepared to get into that deep of specifics with some nerdy tech KZbinr, especially not about cooling and thermal dynamics.

[@izzieb]

I also think part of it is that Linus tends to think like a broadcaster, i.e. he will ask for clarification on something he thinks the viewer may want more information on. I don't think he means to come across as rude.

[@plunder1956]

The incredible thing is talking to the actual guy who made this happen. In detail. That is truly amazing. Watching these two guys give is so cool. You start to understand how talented and brave these people were sending up rockets like this. American genius and guts at it's very best.

[@princejbc2003]

And I've just come from watching a flat-earther who believes all this is fake!

[@mcintoshdev]

I JUST SAW this video and it is the best thing I have ever watched! I remember being 6 in Okinawa and watching Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon. We watched it in the gymnasium of Machinato Elementary school. Luke Talley's knowledge is just amazing!