23 Aug
1999
23 Aug
'99
6:19 a.m.
On Mon, 23 Aug 1999, Max Eskin wrote:
isn't emulated. What I mean is that if we wish to
preserve machines
for study, then a copy is acceptable. Of course, there is that human
element to which you refer, but I'd rather have a copy than nothing at
all.
Well, actually it's not. A copy might not be made of the same materials
that the original was made of. It might have different components because
the originals may not be manufactured anymore. Minute details like the
features of the case, or the layout of the PCBs may be inaccurate, or the
wrong color, or the traces the wrong width. Etc.
A while back there was a guy from the London Museum of Science (or
whatever, sorry forgot the name) doing a lecture here in California. (I've
forgotten a lot of the details but here is the basic gist). An
interesting point he made was that there was a workbench that was used by
a famous inventor. The workbench itself was unremarkable, but what they
found in the workbench was very significant: traces of mercury. From this
evidence they were able to surmise that a contributing factor to this
inventor's death was mercury poisoning.
Again, I'm sorry I don't have specific details as my memory sucks these
ays.
Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
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