Computer

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A Computer is a tangible device using information technology to manipulate data and make calculations.

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Description (Specifications)[edit]

Computers are rated according to a vast variety of characteristics and capabilities, but general quality paradigms have been established.

Computer Types[edit]

Computer:

  1. Astrogation Computer
  2. Computer Implant
  3. Computer Personality
  4. Control Console
  5. Control Panel
  6. Fiber Optic Computer
  7. Fire Control Computer
  8. Flight Computer
  9. Hand Computer
  10. House Brain
  11. Map Box
  12. Master Fire Director (MFD)
  13. Minicomputer
  14. Neural Net
  15. Ship Brain
  16. Ship Mind
  17. Ship's Computer
  18. Traffic Net
  19. Workstation

Processor:

  1. Linear Processor
  2. Parallel Processor
  3. Synaptic Processor

Macroelectronics or Microelectronics?[edit]

Vignette 32:
The stewardess brought the kid in as part of the tour and right away he pissed me off.

“Why’s the computer so big? Why’s it so slow? Why does it have a tap on the front?”

I didn’t want to look at the runt so I turned to the computer. I ran a hand along the edge of room-filling cylinder.

“She’s not slow, she’s tough. Her core isn’t weak silicon or habridide, she’s hardwired with microscopic gold wiring. That means she runs slower as you can only shrink it so much. But the radiation in Jump would fry anything lesser. Even so, that sweet core is surrounded by a foot thick lead-carbide shield to protect it against solar radiation. A foot of simple gel insulation for temperature control. Then the proton tanks, between six feet of dense water that captures the results of proton decay caused by the Jump gravitational changes. That’s what the tap is for, to drain the tanks. Then the wall sensors that detect the radiation we can’t shield against and tell this baby to reset when it detects something that might cause a miscalculation.

“This panel over here…” I turned round to demonstrate the controls, they’d gone. [1]

Computer Control Standards[edit]

Computer Controls: In almost all cases where the ship's computer can control a given ship function (gravity, doors, etc.), orders fed in at the central bridge computer take precedence over those fed in at local controls. Only if the computer is inoperative will a computer override be ineffective.[2] Some ships have been known to be built with a different system set-up, but this arrangement is commonplace on most vessels within Charted Space. [3]

Brains, Minds & Personalities[edit]

Very advanced computers begin to develop various types of autonomous programming and are referred to with other specialized terms:

Brains, Minds & Personalities
Term Remarks
Brain A Brain is a sophisticated Bright Age Information Technology computer without a significant personality. [4]
Mind A Mind is a sophisticated Bright Age Information Technology computer with a significant personality. [5]
Personality A Personality is a Bright to Brilliant Age feature of sophisticated computers capable of high levels of autonomous thought and independent decision-making. [6]

NOTES: the differences between a brain and a mind are very negligible. There is significant overlap between the definitions, both formally and informally. As a generality, brains are lower performance and minds are higher performance. Brains were first operated with personalities. Later models began to include lower quality personalities. All minds are designed from the onset to include high quality personalities.

Mind Control Technology[edit]

No information yet available.

NBIC Technologies[edit]

History & Background (Dossier)[edit]

Computers are a foundational technology underlying many later developments including robots, starships, artificial intelligence, and much, much more.

The development of Information Technology (IT) and particularly the key device of IT, the computer is a key advancement of any technological civilization.

  • Computer technology greatly assists in the advancement of knowledge. Scientists used it to better store, collate, and push out the boundaries of scientific knowledge. Linguists use it to catalogue known languages and improve universal translators. Bureaucrats use it to aid in process of governance, massively increasing efficiency.
  • Nearly every tech level of advancement leads to an exponential increase in pure research capability and a greatly sped up doubling of existing knowledge.
  • Computers and other forms of data processing and storage expand the extilligence of a civilization, which is to say its ability to pass on learning from one generation to the next.

Almost all are designed to use lower technology repair components in most functionalities. For this reason, ship’s computers tend to be much larger and more voluminous than strictly function-based microelectronics.

Expected Artificial Intelligence Development Sequence[edit]

MACRO LEVEL:

Expected Computer Development Sequence[edit]

MACRO LEVEL:

Technological Overview of Computers[edit]

Epochal Technological Development: Information Technology is at its earliest conceptual state and slowly grows into mechanical calculative devices to early electronics to the first true computers and beyond.

Computer Autonomy:

Information Age Societies (Calculative Computers)[edit]

Technological Period: TL:1-9 and Tech-Name: Ur-Tech
Common Characteristics: Digital Networks, High scarcity, Prototype Nanotech, Calculative ("Calculating Machines"), Automatons, Low Autonomous Robots, etc.
Tech Epoch TL-Range Remarks
Tool Making Epoch TL:1-3 COMPUTERS: The abacus and the quipu represent early calculating tech. they are simple, mechanical processors that help a sophont keep large numbers of calculations in memory. Mathematics makes great leaps forward with the development of algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.
Division of Labor Epoch TL:4-6 COMPUTERS: The first analog computers and calculators greatly enhance business and academic endeavors. Mechanical and early electronic calculators become fixtures. Electric devices, polymers, and early electronics fuel continuing progress. Designers use classic Lovelacian programming and aspire to build the first Babbage machines. Many sophont societies can build processors that meet the Imperial standards for Model/1 and Model/1 bis processors.
Processor Epoch TL:7-9 COMPUTERS: Programmable computers come into vogue as the analog is replaced by the digital. Transistors make way for microchips; desktop processors soon become a feature of home, business, and school. Massive parallel processors fill entire rooms and supersede earlier technologies. The first supercomputers can often beat even expert humans at games like chess due to phenomenal calculating abilities and vast memory banks. Photonic and gravitic energy transmission as well as bio-computing replace many of the earlier generations of electronics. Voice-activated processors are more user-friendly than ever before. Many societies can build processors that meet the Imperial standards for Model/2, Model/2 bis, and even Model/3 processors.

Bright Age Societies (Bright Computers)[edit]

Technological Period: TL:10-18 and Tech-Name: Stell-Tech
Common Characteristics: Intelligent Networks, Low Scarcity, Weak nanotech, Synaptic processors, Positronic Brains, Cognitive ("Thinking Machines"), High Autonomous Robots, etc.
Tech Epoch TL-Range Remarks
Gravitics Epoch TL:10-12 COMPUTERS: Synaptic processors and positronic brains are vastly more capable than earlier generations of processor technology. Some advanced robots can fool inexpert humans. Expert roboticists call these low autonomous robots. Still, a well-trained expert sophont can often outthink and outperform advanced thinking machines from this epoch. Fluidic and magnetic energy transmission increase processing speed. Semi-organic facility and early ship brains become common. Many societies can build processors that meet the Imperial standards for Model/4, Model/5, and Model/6 processors.
Biologicals Epoch TL:13-15 COMPUTERS: High autonomous robots outperform many educated experts across many fields. They still can’t match the apex professors, but they can perform perfectly well at the professional level. Holocrystals and advanced bio-compumetrics are increasing functioning to billions of actions per nanosecond. Computer brain implants allow complete rehabilitation and restoration of function to almost all individuals who were formerly handicapped. Infomorphs and downloadable brains supplement wafertech. Pseudoreality simulators show amazing promise. Many societies can build processors that meet the Imperial standards for Model/7, Model/8, and Model/9 processors.
Artificials Epoch TL:16-18 COMPUTERS: High autonomous robots outperform many educated experts across many fields. They still can’t match the apex professors, but they can perform perfectly well at the professional level. Holocrystals and advanced bio-compumetrics are increasing functioning to billions of actions per nanosecond. Computer brain implants allow complete rehabilitation and restoration of function to almost all individuals who were formerly handicapped. Infomorphs and downloadable brains supplement wafertech. Pseudoreality simulators show amazing promise. Many societies can build processors that meet the Imperial standards for Model/7, Model/8, and Model/9 processors. Hop Drives begin to use more advanced Ship's Computers.

Brilliant Age Societies (Brilliant Computers)[edit]

Technological Period: TL:19-27 and Tech-Name: Ultra-Tech
Common Characteristics: Delegative Rule (AI), Post-Scarcity, Strong nanotech, Emotive ("Dreaming or Feeling Machines"), Self-Aware Robots, etc.
Tech Epoch TL-Range Remarks
Matter Transport Epoch, Transformations Epoch, and Psionics Epoch TL:19-21, TL:22-24, and TL:25-27 COMPUTERS: Some Imperial scientists have quietly made the observation that psionic science may underlay future societal and technological developments. True Artificial Intelligence is another widely anticipated factor. It is anticipated that true artificial intelligence, thinking, feeling machines whose capabilities may exceed organic sophont minds may coalesce over this tech period, the Ultra Period.

Beyond Brilliance[edit]

Technological Period: TL:28-30 & TL:31-33 and Tech-Name: Dei-Tech & Omni-Tech
Common Characteristics: Mass Minds, Delegative Rule (AI), Zero-Scarcity, Very Strong nanotech, Omni-Heuristic ("Deific Machines"), etc.
Tech Epoch TL-Range Remarks
Transcendent Epoch
& Ascendant Epoch 		TL:28-30 & TL:31-33 COMPUTERS: Even futurists have a hard time guessing what form electronics will take these tech epochs or even whether they will exist at all.

See also[edit]

Computer design[edit]

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

Cybertechnology[edit]

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

Education[edit]

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §
  • Education in Charted Space

    • Information Technology[edit]

    § == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

    Technologies[edit]

    § == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

    References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]

    This article has metadata.
    This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
    1. ↑ Information provided to the library by Felbrigg Herriot
    2. ↑ Jordan Weisman. "Book 2." Adventure Class Ships Volume 1 (1982): 6.
    3. ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
    4. ↑ Marc Miller. "Computers, Consoles, and Controllers." T5 Core Rules (2013): 515-519.
    5. ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
    6. ↑ Marc Miller. "Personalities and Brains." T5 Core Rules (2013): 522-525.
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