Computers vs Computation

The cluster debates the philosophical distinction between physical computers/hardware and abstract computation, questioning if machines truly reason, think, or do math, or merely perform mechanical operations like circuits or state transitions.

➡️ Stable 0.5x Science
3,647
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#6439
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
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18
2009
51
2010
75
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2012
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131
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2022
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2026
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Keywords

CS FA CPU LED DC DMA AC PC IO computation computer computing computers circuits electrical computations fa abstractions machine

Sample Comments

LoganDark • Apr 1, 2024 • View on HN

So in other words, it's not a computer, it's a computation.

TwoBit • May 30, 2021 • View on HN

It's about computing, not about computers.

HPsquared • Sep 23, 2021 • View on HN

If all you have is a computer, everything looks like a computation.

sutterbomb • Jun 30, 2016 • View on HN

Can you share details on what specifically isn't computing?

dkersten • Dec 27, 2009 • View on HN

Its not about "computers" but rather about "computation".

w3mmpp • May 13, 2020 • View on HN

You're thinking about programs, not computation.

mirker • Oct 21, 2021 • View on HN

[And a program/computer may not think yet still does interesting computations]

GFK_of_xmaspast • Feb 10, 2015 • View on HN

"you can make computers do things you have to think about to understand."

empthought • Sep 12, 2024 • View on HN

It's a computer bullshitting, the same way as a computer calculating is comparable to a human calculating unaided by a computer.

barqawiz • Apr 1, 2024 • View on HN

An insightful take on the evolution of computing. should we also consider the device's ability to execute conditional operations?