Quote:
Originally Posted by GH85Carrera
The BESM-1 computer designed by the institute of precision mechanics and computation techniques, the machine was used for the calculating the orbits of about 700 small planets of the solar system for an international astronomical calendar, systems of algebraic equations necessary for compiling maps according to data of geodesical surveys were solved, a technician is preparing the machine for the solution of a mathematical problem, 1955.
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Oh, so the new kids have, like, wires and tubes and all of that? In the early days of nuclear stuff we had literal rooms full of computers - which probably ran on caffeine and nicotine...
Much of this was done for calculating the roughly-random interactions of neutrons with interesting things like uranium and plutonium. Nicholas Metropolis and John von Neumann termed the process as the "Monte Carlo" method and, to put it lightly, it now kind of defines how things you interact with every day are decided.