[HN Gopher] The machines of Tatjana van Vark
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       The machines of Tatjana van Vark
        
       Author : jamez
       Score  : 100 points
       Date   : 2023-04-07 16:30 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (craftsmanshipmuseum.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (craftsmanshipmuseum.com)
        
       | jacquesm wrote:
       | This woman is amazing. Math, hardware, mechanics, engineering,
       | metalworking, software, optics, etc. You name it she has the
       | skills and has produced a lifetime's worth of stuff that would
       | take you a long time just to review casually.
        
       | mattkevan wrote:
       | I've been fascinated by van Vark's work for years - her
       | craftsmanship is incredible. Even submitted her website to HN a
       | few years ago.
       | 
       | Her work is like transmissions from an alternate timeline where
       | the transistor was never invented and electromechanical
       | engineering was pushed as far as it could go.
        
       | neonate wrote:
       | http://web.archive.org/web/20230407163229/https://craftsmans...
       | 
       | https://archive.ph/h9GHP
        
       | stevespang wrote:
       | [dead]
        
       | llsf wrote:
       | How many on earth can build those instruments from scratch ? Even
       | one of those instruments ? What percentage of the global
       | population ?
       | 
       | I am wondering if we are building a civilization weakness, where
       | only few can recreate those things. As we produce at scale, and
       | with more and more layers of automation, we need less and less
       | craftsmen... and if those few at the top get hit by a bus, the
       | setback could be huge.
       | 
       | Combined with technology that evolves faster than we can teach
       | it, it feels like the number of experts is shrinking over time.
       | Thoughts ?
        
         | AriedK wrote:
         | These could be the Leonardo da Vincis of this age. They're
         | quite unique, and have been for centuries.
        
       | kragen wrote:
       | Van Vark is an extreme hacker. Who else among us has a working
       | telephone exchange in their basement? Or a military aircraft
       | navigational system? Much less both. She honors the ancient
       | hacker who made the Antikythera Mechanism with her own fine
       | recreation of it.
        
       | jamez wrote:
       | This YouTube video (in Dutch, but with English subs) is also
       | fascinating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1ODwgX_KkQ
       | 
       | You can browse Tatjana van Vark's personal website here:
       | http://www.tatjavanvark.nl/projects.html
        
         | michelb wrote:
         | Jaw-dropping craftsmanship.
        
       | robocat wrote:
       | (2008)
        
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       (page generated 2023-04-07 23:00 UTC)