The strangest computer ever created – made of jigsaw puzzles and fishing lines

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Not every computer can be a button and a screen.

The strangest computer ever created - made of jigsaw puzzles and fishing lines
The strange “computer” made by Danny Hillis and Brian Silverman, code X39.81 at the computer history museum.

Two computer scientists Danny Hillis and Brian Silverman have invented a computer using each jigsaw puzzle and string. The invention is currently on display at the computer history museum at View Mountain, near the Googleplex.

The strangest computer ever created - made of jigsaw puzzles and fishing lines
Daniel Hillis explains his machine.

In a letter from Danny Hillis to Gordon Bell on May 21, 1981: “It consists of 10,000 pieces of wood with some additional fishing line and weights, and is held in place by brass keyhole covers. This machine. can play tic-tac-toe (aka checkers) with the first player to start. It never loses.The “game tree” is created by a LISP program running on a PDP- 10. The PDP-10 also computes connections of 140 ports (9 inputs/ports).The gates all run on TTL (Tinkertoy Logic).A three-state logic is used instead. three possible states (XO-empty). The design uses simple associative logic. Any 6-year-old can put it together making it equal to 500 jigsaw puzzles and a PDP-10.”

The strangest computer ever created - made of jigsaw puzzles and fishing lines
The PDP-10.

“I designed it with Brian Silverman in 1978. It was later acquired by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and placed in the Mid-America Museum. It works but breaks easily – the fishing line always needs to be pulled tight.The Mid-America Museum needed a more durable machine so we made a second one in 1980. It costs less material and is more durable, but I really don’t think it’s as impressive as the first machine.”