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One of the first mass-produced computers getting new life in UK museum
While Howdy Doody and Buffalo Bob Smith were regaling America's youth with Western-themed puppet antics and the Cold War was starting to get serious, British businessmen were employing one of the world's first out-of-the-laboratory computers: the ICT 1301. The massive computer, which resembles a prop from Lost's underground bunker more than something you'd see in modern times, is getting a new life from the National Museum of Computing in the UK's historic Bletchley Park. The University of London is providing the ICT 1301 (last used for grading tests, apparently), which is nicknamed "Flossie." Apparently TNMOC is hoping to have it on display by some point in 2016, and the machine is said to still work. It was purchased by the university back in the '60s, not long after the initial rollout of ICT 1301 computers took place. Just 150 iterations of the machine exist, and Flossie is said to be the last functioning model. It's been a struggle getting Flossie into the museum, despite its history -- the machine spent nine years being rehabbed, among other challenges. Hilariously, other copies of the ICT 1301 were used as props in various UK productions throughout the years, from Doctor Who to James Bond. And the first of you to spot one in an old episode and send us an image gets a banana sticker! And very likely a cat GIF!
Video: Flossie the robot can 'ride' a motorcycle, remains oblivious to good oral hygiene
The best and worst part about robots is the fact that they can be purpose-built to perform any task at hand. Oh sure, they can be built to kill, or they can built to test motorcycles without risk to our feeble (yet tasty) meat-sacks. Introducing Flossie, the Castrol-developed test rider that's threading a Fireblade between its "legs" in the shot above. The robot features a self-learning mode that enables it to get a feel (throttle response, clutch drag, gear shifting patterns, etc.) for any stationary bike upon which it's perched -- right, stationary... he's no Murata Boy. Still, as the ultimate precision rider that never tires, Flossie allows Castrol to evaluate its lubricants as effectively as possible. See it in action after the break. [Via Faster and Faster, thanks Jensen]
