Re: (ReacTor) Five SF Novels About Rediscovering Ancient Tech

William Hyde  <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:

James Nicoll wrote:

Five SF Novels About Rediscovering Ancient Tech
 
Forget planned obsolescence--the creators of these enduring technological
marvels built them to last (for better or worse).
 
https://reactormag.com/five-sf-novels-about-rediscovering-ancient-tech/
 

I am currently being cooled by a fan which is several years older than
Voyager.  Admittedly not such advanced technology, but a mere household
item. And it is one of a pair.  Which leads me to wonder, just  how long
could simple machines work, if we actually built them with longevity in
mind?

A long, long time.  But it has a lot to do with maintenance as well as
design.

Also... it depends on whether it's fair to replace wear components.  The
clock at Salisbury Cathedral has been running since the 14th century but
I suspect they have replaced some bushings over the years.

Lubricants today are a lot better than they were in the 14th century, though,
so the rate of wear on the Salisbury clock is likely a lot lower than it
used to be.... but entropy will catch up with it if maintenance is not done.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."