What old technology are you surprised is still in use today?
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Steam engines.
The vast majority of our power comes from making something really hot and boiling water. Coal plant? Oil plant? Gas plant? Nuclear fission plant? Geothermal plant? The grand holy grail of energy production that would be a nuclear fusion plant? All steam engines.
Yes, unbeknownst to everyone, this is what a steampunk society realistically looks like.
We made steampunk a reality by developing the technology to transfer steam power efficiently over long distances through metal wires.
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I'm surprised nobody mentioned jack plugs yet. Basically unchanged since 1877 when it was invented for phone switchboards, roughly as old as safety pins or modern hairpins (give or take a few decades)
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
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The sewing machine.
Like we got 3d printers than can give me whatever I want in 20 hrs but I still got to fight with a sewing machine to stitch an outfit. Like why no polyester clothes printer?wrote last edited by [email protected]We have knitting machines, and automated looms (weaving machines,) we even have sergers for fancy sewing. Its just plain easier to make the finished product as a custom job since humans aren't uniform in size, and it's way easier to weave a rectangular piece of cloth than any other shape.
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The IRS still use COBOL.
wrote last edited by [email protected]So does pretty much the whole banking and credit industry. When you get money out of an ATM there's usually some COBOL code involved.
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Welcome to "That's not surprising at all!"
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There's a used bookstore near me that has the oldest cash register I've ever seen. It has keys like a typewriter, and makes the most satisfying "ka-ching" sound when it opens. They always use it to add up your purchase and print a receipt, even when you're paying with a credit card. But I always try to bring cash when I'm there so that the drawer gets used. (And also, y'know, screw credit card companies taking their cut.)
I know that's not really "in widespread use" today, which is probably what the question meant, but that was the first thing that came to mind for me.
Wow. Many years ago I bought an old cash register to use as a prop in a play, sounds like the type you're talking about, and it was already way outdated then. Thing was amazingly heavy, like a refrigerator.
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So does pretty much the whole banking and credit industry. When you get money out of an ATM there's usually some COBOL code involved.
True, we stack old technologies on top of older technologies, and somewhere at the bottom, there is z/OS with COBOL running. A young person right now learning COBOL has a secure future with big paychecks.
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True, we stack old technologies on top of older technologies, and somewhere at the bottom, there is z/OS with COBOL running. A young person right now learning COBOL has a secure future with big paychecks.
wrote last edited by [email protected]Depends on your tolerance for code spelunking. Back in the 90s I was encouraged to do Y2K prep because I had some COBOL experience, but I really hated pawing through old code. To be fair, COBOL was designed to be self documenting and English-like. But I'm glad I got into web dev instead back then. It was right at the dawn of "dynamic HTML" when web pages started actually doing things. Very cool time. Right now I'd be more inclined to go into helping companies recover from failed AI projects.
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The IRS still use COBOL.
Reminds me I have to catalogue 2 Tandem Non-stop! Systems at work… I don’t need to meddle with the cobol code atop but still, this was quite a surprise to stumble upon.
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Fax, still in official use in Germany.
Fax is too simple to completely die.
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we dont posess the knowlegde of how to do that, that isnt done by magnetism. maybe if aliens come to earth than maybe.
Talking to a good friend 20 years ago, very smart guy, and he was thinking we already artificial gravity.
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Talking to a good friend 20 years ago, very smart guy, and he was thinking we already artificial gravity.
i remember mythbuster tried to experiment with it.
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Trigonometry is still used to take measures all around the world.
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It's considered a secure method of document transfer over email, despite email being able to be secured and fax can be hacked with like a length of wire and a knife. Fucking irks me.
How does one hack fax in that fashion?
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How does one hack fax in that fashion?
Fax operates as data over phone line, similar to dialup. If you can get a wiretap on a phone line, you essentially can get everything that passes over it. Technically you could encrypt it, but it's usually not required you do legally.
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General Aviation is still using magnetos. The typical GA airplane is hilariously primitive.
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General Aviation is still using magnetos. The typical GA airplane is hilariously primitive.
NOOO I NEED LEADED FUEL CAUSE MY LYCOMING IS FROM THE 60s
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Pagers.
Still in use by hospitals and emergency services
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NOOO I NEED LEADED FUEL CAUSE MY LYCOMING IS FROM THE 60s
If you buy a brand new Skyhawk here in the space year 2025, it will come with a newly made Lycoming IO-360 that requires 100LL. I think they're still working on eliminating leaded avgas, I think because the Trump regime hasn't noticed it yet.
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Steam engines.
The vast majority of our power comes from making something really hot and boiling water. Coal plant? Oil plant? Gas plant? Nuclear fission plant? Geothermal plant? The grand holy grail of energy production that would be a nuclear fusion plant? All steam engines.
Yes, unbeknownst to everyone, this is what a steampunk society realistically looks like.
After first contact
A: These are our mini neutron star fusion reactors. The most advanced technology to have ever existed. We basically take a chunk of neutron star matter and divide it into two. We neutralize the negative effect and extreme gravity with our space-time bending gravity manipulation technology. We let the two mini neutro spheres accelerate and collide. This generates enough energy to power atleast 3 planets for 1000 cycles. Not onl--
H: Wait a minute. I have a question.
A: Please feel free to ask any questions.
H: How do you convert the raw energy generated into a usable form at that scale?
A: We use utlra high intensity lasers for energy transfer to plane--
H: No. That's not what I'm asking. How do you convert the raw energy at reactor into a usable form?
A: ...
H: ...
A: We boil water wi--
H: Motherf-- enrages and loses sanity
Stolen from reddit.
