Colossus

[Briganza]

The Colossus is in a race to prove it can hold it’s own against Pentium. Although I seem to remember from the book “Station X” a number ended up in GCHQ. The race should be over tomorrow. Should we have a small wager as to who wins?

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7094881.stm

Edited November 15, 2007 by Briganza

[EvanDP]

When I read the thread title I thought about the movie/novel version.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_%28novel%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus:_The_Forbin_Project

[Brasidas]

They say the modern computer is restricted to a Pentium 2 and is modelling a virtual Colossus. IOW, they are highly restricted on clock speed, and they are likely using the same logic as the Colossus. One wonders if they have modeled the I/O limitations as well. If the virtual machine is well modeled, they shall both decode encrypted messages with the same level of proficiency provided they have the same decryptor key.

[Briganza]

It is nice to see that it has been recreated and put to work. Although the publicity stunt detracts from it’s importance in the intelligence war. Only another 40 odd years before all the history of what went on at Bletchley comes out. The years just after the was will be very interesting.

[ShotMagnet]

I don't bet when I expect someone to cheat.

 

 

Shot

[ShotMagnet]

double tap

Edited November 16, 2007 by ShotMagnet

[Argus]

It is nice to see that it has been recreated and put to work. Although the publicity stunt detracts from it’s importance in the intelligence war. Only another 40 odd years before all the history of what went on at Bletchley comes out. The years just after the was will be very interesting.

 

Yes, funny that. Being able to crack enigma ment all the machines based on enigma were vulnerable too, like Typex; which I understand HMG were very generous in handing out to needy users... NZ got rid of their last ones in the 70's IIRC.

 

shane

[p620346]

I recall an Arthur C Clark short story (damned if I can recall the name) where a spacecraft that lands on Halleys comet had a computer malfunction (microsoft update failure probably) and the crew, unable to plot a course out of the dustcloud face a slow lingering death as the air runs out. Then a japanese member of the crew remembers his grandfather took part in a trial in 1946 between a state of the art US Army electronic calculator and an abacus. The abacus won. Inspired by the story, the rest of the crew breaks out the supply of wood (lord knows why they had it on board, planning to put up some shelves presumably), build an abacus for each member of the crew and train them all to use it. Cut a long story short, they plot a way out of the dust cloud and manage to get home. Great story, but I often wondered, did that trial actually happen, and what proceedures did they use?

 

 

This reminds me of a science fiction story in which Japan beat the US to the moon by making a one way trip. The Japanese astronaughts built themselves a rock garden and then died.

[CV9030FIN]

The Colossus is in a race to prove it can hold it’s own against Pentium. Although I seem to remember from the book “Station X” a number ended up in GCHQ. The race should be over tomorrow. Should we have a small wager as to who wins?

 

Well, who won?

[DB]

Well, who won?

A German who was able to read the original radio transmission immediately, rather than after a day's mucking about with amateur radio, followed by the Colossus simulation running on a modern PC, followed by the real thing, which blew 2 valves just before the end, causing a small delay.

 

Nevertheless, Colossus managed to crack the code in 4 hours 20 minutes.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7098005.stm

 

David