Tumbling Turing 1 - initial play with the Turing Tumble @TuringTumble

A product that has kept popping on to my radar has been the intriguing Turing Tumbles  @TuringTumble I admit to being initially hesitant (is just a gimmicky marble run? - it isn't!) a marble powered computer. The idea is using mechanical ideas to visualise computing concepts is thought-provoking and I have always loved marble runs and 'Heath Robinson'/'Rube Goldberg' style machines; so bit the bullet and brought one and I am impressed; it is great fun (more than just as a marble run). 

Let's start with the packaging and components it is and feels like a high quality product. The components feel sturdy and well designed, the storage for the components also feels sturdy (see figure 1). The project book with the exercises etc is a mixture of puzzles and challenges, alongside a short graphic novel/comic; it all feels well executed and thought through. Online there is now a growing community https://community.turingtumble.com/ where new puzzels are posted, alongside new ideas for puzzles and support. Personally, I think this is a great move, and one of the features with the potential to move this from a game  (I have no problem with games), into a tool (as well as a game) for experimentation and also an educational tool.

figure 1: components

It does have elements of a marble run the power to everything is gravity acting on marbles (see figure 2). 

figure 2: Game board

In the video below the set of red and blue marbles, go through the system producing an output of alternating red and blue marbles - simple but good fun.

Where to next then:

- I am aiming to find the time to try out the binary operation puzzles and logic puzzles. 

- then play with other ideas.

The company behind Turing Tumble have recently run a further very successful Kickstarter project for a follow-on idea Spintronics (see below) using mechanical concepts to help visualise and understand electronic concepts. Yes, I have 'pledged' for it along with several thousand others, it looks so Steampunk.

If you would like to play with a spintronic simulation goto https://www.turingtumble.com/upperstory/spintronics/simulator/index.html

All opinions in this blog are the Author's and should not in any way be seen as reflecting the views of any organisation the Author has any association with. Twitter @scottturneruon