Short answer: Yes, it's crap. Use a real computer. :p
Long answer: Not impossible, but it runs at a terribly slow speed, has a miniscule amount of memory unless you do lots of fiddly paging out to external storage, and is basically crap. Use a real computer instead :)
As for today the answer is simple and was said before - we have thousand times better computers available. "Discovering" something in math by use of computer usually means running some very complex simulation (requiring speed of processing and lots of memory) and leaving it for a night or a week. With Spectrum we would have to wait for a century or longer.
It's debatable, of course, but I would say the low hanging fruits of science have already been picked. Of course certain scientific calculations that don't need a lot of memory (or even a little), and given enough time, could be pulled off on a Speccy. But then again so could they using an abacus, or old style, writing with chalk on a blackboard. :lol:
In the end, I concur with what guesser said. :lol:
Obviously a Spectrum is woefully underpowered for anything in the category of "scientific computation" today - but on the other hand, the four colour theorem was proven in 1976 by finding 1,936 minimal cases, and checking them by computer. It would be interesting to find out how the computing power available to them back then compared to a Spectrum...
Either way, given that plenty of cutting-edge pure maths today is still done with pencil and paper, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to imagine a similar scenario cropping up today - a mathematical proof with a 'mechanical' portion in it that's just beyond what's feasible to do by hand, but possible with a tiny (by today's standards) amount of computing power.
I think most but not all of replies seem to be thinking of something like ray-tracing or fluid dynamics, or scientfic modelling of some sort. I just thought it could be something simple but that had yet to be discovered, like what Gasman said - or an algorithm of some new kind that could be demonstrated on a ZX SPectrum
For instance, since the big super computers are standing on the shoulders of the old technology (are they not?). Would there be anything wrong with a humble Zx Spectrum letting them do all the work, then stepping in for the big moment - tah dah -
Not really a discovery, but the Apollo Guidance Computer had way less power than your Spectrum and it worked to the moon.
Maybe with a Spectrum you could control a satellite (that could made a discovery) or send a ship across the solar system.
Class, thanks - notice the Verb Noun Input. Love it.
Great scot!!!
ZX spectrum: "I think we should stay and study this phenomenon."
Programmer: "I don't have time to explain - we need to get the hell out of here!!"
LOAD "LEONOV"
As an aside: I always liked the use of various coloured lit up buttons in the LEONOV - looked totally class.
In a time and year long ago!
I used to look after a Cray-2.
I think it discovered a new prime number!
However, compared to the spectrum the games available were crap ;-)
No I am writing it from the UK, on my Alpha-numeric to HTTP converter! :smile:
The four colour theorim I'd never heard of, and I can't see the point of it. But I asked with a particular view, simply in regard to technology because I don't think more power, memory and pixels are what have always yielded most notable scientific discoveries.
Ok it was a daft question.
But in case you hadn't noticed its an old computer forum - we bring up topics (well I do sometimes) that are about the capabilities of the ZX Spectrum in the present day (and even back in the day), not to make fun of it, or because we are unaware of its limitations, but simply because its a question that seemed to me might be imponderable, though most people think its clear cut. I asked a question, I didn't make a proposal to carry out folding or search for a cancer cure with the ZX Spectrum. But after all even if there was a spectrum crunching away at some aspect of research it would not be wasted, for are not most super-computers simply parallel cores? So while it couldn't render the graphics it might be able to do the math - slowly - but then again, it is speeding things up isn't by spreading the processing load?? So while practically speaking its a daft notion, we wouldn't be were we are today without the early developments.
That said if they are working on Brain-caps I want to slow it down as much as possible!
Comments
Long answer: Not impossible, but it runs at a terribly slow speed, has a miniscule amount of memory unless you do lots of fiddly paging out to external storage, and is basically crap. Use a real computer instead :)
As for today the answer is simple and was said before - we have thousand times better computers available. "Discovering" something in math by use of computer usually means running some very complex simulation (requiring speed of processing and lots of memory) and leaving it for a night or a week. With Spectrum we would have to wait for a century or longer.
In the end, I concur with what guesser said. :lol:
/Pedro
Either way, given that plenty of cutting-edge pure maths today is still done with pencil and paper, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to imagine a similar scenario cropping up today - a mathematical proof with a 'mechanical' portion in it that's just beyond what's feasible to do by hand, but possible with a tiny (by today's standards) amount of computing power.
Maybe with a Spectrum you could control a satellite (that could made a discovery) or send a ship across the solar system.
An' you know what they said?
Well, some of it was true!
For instance, since the big super computers are standing on the shoulders of the old technology (are they not?). Would there be anything wrong with a humble Zx Spectrum letting them do all the work, then stepping in for the big moment - tah dah -
Class, thanks - notice the Verb Noun Input. Love it.
Great scot!!!
ZX spectrum: "I think we should stay and study this phenomenon."
Programmer: "I don't have time to explain - we need to get the hell out of here!!"
LOAD "LEONOV"
As an aside: I always liked the use of various coloured lit up buttons in the LEONOV - looked totally class.
I used to look after a Cray-2.
I think it discovered a new prime number!
However, compared to the spectrum the games available were crap ;-)
So I'll take a spectrum any time :-)
Happy New year.
I lost the plot long ago.
what now?
R U writing this from North Korea? :)
No I am writing it from the UK, on my Alpha-numeric to HTTP converter! :smile:
The four colour theorim I'd never heard of, and I can't see the point of it. But I asked with a particular view, simply in regard to technology because I don't think more power, memory and pixels are what have always yielded most notable scientific discoveries.
Ok it was a daft question.
But in case you hadn't noticed its an old computer forum - we bring up topics (well I do sometimes) that are about the capabilities of the ZX Spectrum in the present day (and even back in the day), not to make fun of it, or because we are unaware of its limitations, but simply because its a question that seemed to me might be imponderable, though most people think its clear cut. I asked a question, I didn't make a proposal to carry out folding or search for a cancer cure with the ZX Spectrum. But after all even if there was a spectrum crunching away at some aspect of research it would not be wasted, for are not most super-computers simply parallel cores? So while it couldn't render the graphics it might be able to do the math - slowly - but then again, it is speeding things up isn't by spreading the processing load?? So while practically speaking its a daft notion, we wouldn't be were we are today without the early developments.
That said if they are working on Brain-caps I want to slow it down as much as possible!