# Most sophisticated machines of the age **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 27, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412 "2017-12-27T19:54:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412/21 "2017-12-29T02:21:12Z")
The Antikythera Mechanism actually tracks the differing speed of the moon’s elliptical orbit and calculates lunar and solar eclipses to the day and HOUR. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412/22 "2017-12-29T02:31:49Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > D-wave computer? I know it isn’t a true quantum computer, but I’d wonder if a quantum computer is the most complex machine that currently exists. > > There are true quantum computers out there, but I think they are limited to 20 qubits right now. 50 is my recollection, though I know the Chinese are working on one that will supposedly go higher. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412/23 "2017-12-29T03:09:26Z")
> [@XT](#): > > 50 is my recollection, though I know the Chinese are working on one that will supposedly go higher. From what I know, I think they’ve done simulations of 40-50 qubits, and IBM had a 50 qubit computer but it decohered pretty fast. I don’t know if the 50 qubit computer can actually be used by scientists to meaningfully perform calculations or not. My impression is that for now, 20 qubits is the most they can make that they can actually get to work to do calculations. But so many groups are working on them, I’d be surprised if we don’t have quantum computers with large numbers of qubits by 2025. Who knows what counts as large numbers. 100? 10 million? No idea. But its a pretty complex piece of technology. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412/24 "2017-12-29T04:12:42Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > [here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5_29GTY-ls) a link to a PBS Nova show on it. This show, and the _“Hand Banana”_ episode of _Aqua Teen Hunger Force_, and _Winnebago Man_ are the only shows I’ll never delete from my DVR. I’ve often wondered what this says about me… ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412/25 "2017-12-29T16:12:05Z")
Tonight…you ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412/26 "2017-12-29T17:25:58Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > …would submit the [Large Hadron Collider](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider) as my nomination for the most sophisticated machine in 2017. Certain other machines (e.g. supercomputers) may have more complicated mechanisms but I would argue that the combination machine’s intricacy and the underlying knowledge necessary for its’ function places it in the top spot. I think by those criteria, for 1917, the [R-class Zeppelin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_L_30) wins. The largest and most advanced aircraft of the time. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412/27 "2017-12-29T17:36:05Z")
For 1817 I would nominate the [Jacquard loom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquard_loom) - a punch-card controlled loom that could produce pattered textiles. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412/28 "2017-12-29T19:45:09Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Tonight…you You wanna back that up? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-sophisticated-machines-of-the-age/805412.md?page=1)