Computers and Fun #2 5/31 Wednesday Afternoon

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

Abby sat on top of the table in the computer lab, sipping a large glass of pop. As each student came in, they would find a box of various computer parts and a lab coat stitched with their name.

"Hey guys, how did the virtual pets go last week? Did any of them live through the whole week?" Abby grinned at a few of the students. "Or even last through the class?"

"Today we're going to over the basics of computers, how they work and how to build them." Abby launched into a brief history of computers and how they operate, covering everything from the abacus to windows XP. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that brief. "Just in case some of you fell asleep during that, we're going to watch a video that might help you understand."

Abby lifted up a spare box of parts and shook it lightly. "In each of your boxes you'll find enough bits and pieces to make a rudimentary computer. Each box is different, but everyone should be able to make something that can light up or beep or do both. Be sure to wear your lab coats to protect your clothing, not to mention the fact that they look really spiffy."

[Threads up!]

Comments

Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

[You can build anything you want. Really simple computer, robot, blinking light thingy. Just not anything that can kill us all, please.]

Re: Build your computer!

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John assembles something that beeps, lights up, and gives the finger moves slightly. It's hand shaped.

Re: Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

"Good job, John!" Abby came over and bent down to look at his creation. "Why did you decide on a hand?"

Re: Build your computer!

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"I dunno. Everything I build seems to be a hand, lately. You got any clues?"

Re: Build your computer!

[twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com]

Zack sat down and started sorting through the components.

He might have had a slightly evil expression on his face.

Re: Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

Abby walked over and sat on the Zack's table. "So what do you have planned here?"

Re: Build your computer!

[twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com]

"Robotic anti-intruder system," Zack replied. "In case the Stickbugs try something clever."

Re: Build your computer!

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

Peter certainly didn't peer over at all to see what the Meerkat was working on. Nope. He would never do that.

Re: Build your computer!

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

Willow sat down amongst her parts and tried to build a wee robot dog.

Not that she was jealous of certain people's boyfriends or anything.

Re: Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

"How's it going, Willow?" Abby asked, leaning down to watch her work.

Re: Build your computer!

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

Willow looked thoughtful. "I'm trying to decide how much of a brain to give him. Because on the one hand why not make him as smart as he could be? But on the other what if he grows up to be smarter than I am and then totally logs into the school's database and messes with my GPA just because I didn't let him surf the internet porn sites?"

Re: Build your computer!

[electric-sitar.livejournal.com]

Looking at the various computer parts spread out in front of him, and very uncomfortable-looking in the white labcoat, Demyx fidgetted constantly. He didn't have much luck fitting pieces together, and after about a half hour he looked frustrated and on the verge of tears.

Re: Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

Abby walked over and spoke quietly. "Would you like some help, Demyx? I think together we could come up with something pretty cool."

Re: Build your computer!

[electric-sitar.livejournal.com]

Demyx looked up at her in surprise, dropping a screwdriver as he jumped back and put his arms up defensively. "Ah! Oh, um..." He picked up the tool and glanced up at her. "I really have no idea what I'm doing. You'd probably be happier being partners with someone...you know, competant."

Re: Build your computer!

[connernotconnor.livejournal.com]

Conner put together a -- big surprise -- soccer scoreboard. Granted, it wasn't your fancy big stadium board with the plasma screen and exhaustive team and player stats. He certainly wasn't capable of anything remotely close to that; if he had been, Hayley would've been out of a job and he wouldn't have had so much red clothing.

Plus, his box didn't exactly contain all the requisite components for something like that.

It did, however, have little blinky LED number counters on either end and another blinking light that, in theory, was supposed to flash like a crazy strobey thing when a goal was scored.

Whether or not it would actually keep accurate score was an entirely different question.

Re: Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

"Oooh! Flashy!" Abby grinned. "What's its purpose?"

Re: Build your computer!

[connernotconnor.livejournal.com]

"In theory?" Conner looked up and grinned back. "Soccer scoreboard. Or maybe an almost to scale model of one. For really tiny soccer players."

He poked at a button and made the goal light flash again. "Okay, probably just a model of one. Not like I have tiny soccer players on a tiny field to test it with."

Re: Build your computer!

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge sorts through the components until he finds what he needs, and then starts working.

Re: Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

"What are you going to building today, Bridge?"

Re: Build your computer!

[likethegun]

Sam fished through the parts, seeing what he had, and began constructing a rudimentary EMF meter. He wasn't sure whether or not to hope he'd have a reason to test it out at some point.

Re: Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

"Sam the man, whatcha building?" Abby pulled a chair up to his table.

Re: Build your computer!

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

Peter had an idea a while ago about tracking devices honed to his spider-sense so he could find bad guys even if they managed to get away from him. He had no clue how to do this without experimenting with different radio frequencies and seeing if any triggered his sense, but that would probably lead to wild flailing and migraines in the middle of class. He thought better of that.

So he was building a GPS tracking unit to receive the transmitter's signal.

Re: Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

Abby walked over and watched for a minute. "Looking good, Pete."

Re: Build your computer!

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

Ranma stares at the peices after he wakes up. He pokes them, finally assembling a robot that looks like a deck of cards aand... acts like a deck of cards. He's lost about the concept of eletronic set ups.

Re: Build your computer!

[cheerfulgoth.livejournal.com]

Abby walked up and stared at Ranma's invention for a moment. "Soooo, what's it do?"