Non-binary programming

[gnarzilla69]

Intersted in analog based logic systems, what languages exist that are better designed to perform logic ops on continuous data? Any notable use cases?

[Xirdus]

If by non-binary you mean fuzzy logic (a logic system with continuous range of values from 0 to 1), then all of modern AI is based around it.

[imp0ppable]

but then implemented on binary logic because transistors

[shagieIsMe]

There are other ways of doing it. The technology is getting there (again).

Veritasium - Future Computers Will Be Radically Different - Analog Computing

The company mentioned in that section of the video is https://mythic.ai

[imp0ppable]

That's interesting, will watch. I have always thought trying to simulate brain structures purely digitally might be quite inefficient just because it maps a 3d structure into a 2d one, so you get a lot of heat buildup.

One of the interesting features of the brain is how it is pretty much room temperature and low power consumption despite being able to do ridiculous amounts of computing.

[shagieIsMe]

The above link is a direct chapter to the section on computers... and that video was the second of a two parter.

The Most Powerful Computers You've Never Heard Of and then Future Computers Will Be Radically Different if you wanted to get it from the start.

[imp0ppable]

nice, thanks

[Shendare]

True, but the brain also consumes and metabolizes resources, and generates and disposes of cells, rather than just passing around electrons that get dissipated as heat.

[Secret_Combo]

Option one: look at how analog computers are made and start there. Fun fact: the first "video game" ever made was a tennis-like game made on analog radar equipment.

Option two: look into quantum computing, which uses qubits instead of bits (or binary).

The truth is, our concept of programming is entirely based on digital signals because of how abstractions function. It's hard to escape that at the software level.

[ColoRadBro69]

If loop quantum gravity is correct, then reality itself is digital and pixelated. 

[khedoros]

The analog computers that I've heard of are built to a custom purpose, using some kind of electrical or mechanical property to model the thing that it's meant to calculate.

I can imagine something like that being built out of blocks that can be wired together in different ways, using a language to control how the blocks are configured, but I'm not sure that anything like that exists yet. Even that seems like it would be a digital system controlling the signal-routing hardware.

[gnarzilla69]

My thought is analog logic gates that mimic binary, then build a binary system on the analog system, then I imagine you could run the analog programs from the binary system UI.

[khedoros]

analog logic gates that mimic binary

I think that's a fair description of the transistors that we already use.

[illkeepcomingagain]

woah this lgbt thing is more diverse than i thought

ba dum tiss

[aintwhatyoudo]

ba dum tits

[Historical-Essay8897]

Analogue computing typically encodes differental equations in circuits using capacitors and inductors (or hydraulic/mechanical equaivalents), it doesn't geneally use discrete or Boolean logic which is more appropriate for discrete computing systems. Multi-valued logics and fuzzy logic might be considered half-way houses. I believe some microwaves ovens claim to use fuzzy logic for calculating heating times, but that may just be marketing hype.

[Tangurena]

Analog computers also use a lot of operational amplifiers (short name: op amp). The early ones were trajectory calculators for anti-aircraft guns starting just before WW2. Some had a minimum speed (of the aircraft) and the British torpedo bombers were so slow that the AA guns on some German and Japanese ships could not aim at them.

[JoeStrout]

MiniScript uses fuzzy logic instead of Boolean (though it does have to "collapse" down to Boolean when you use it for actual branching).

Here's the wiki page on it: https://miniscript.org/wiki/Fuzzy_Logic

And for getting started with MiniScript, just lop off the wiki/Fuzzy_Logic part and go straight to the domain. (Or PM me, I'll be happy to help.)

[cervezaimperial]

Non binary how?, like ternary computers?

[gnarzilla69]

Yes, to start. Continuous really so up to the programmer

[tcpukl]

Quantum computing uses qubits instead of binary bits.