Hegel 2.0: The Unrealized Revolution of Ternary Computing

2025-05-14
Hegel 2.0: The Unrealized Revolution of Ternary Computing

This article explores the Cold War clash between the US and Soviet Union in computer science and philosophy. Warren McCulloch's refusal of a Soviet invitation sets the stage for a narrative about the ternary computer SETUN and its connection to McCulloch's neural network theory and Gotthard Günther's 'transclassical logic'. Günther sought to synthesize Hegel's dialectic with cybernetics, arguing that ternary logic could solve contradictions inherent in binary logic and provide a foundation for a digital metaphysics. Though SETUN ultimately failed, it spurred exploration of non-binary computing and prompted reconsideration of binary oppositions in digital culture.

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The Insane Genius: Karl Hans Janke's Fantastic Inventions

2025-03-04
The Insane Genius: Karl Hans Janke's Fantastic Inventions

Karl Hans Janke, a patient at an East German psychiatric hospital, spent his life creating over 4,500 drawings and hundreds of models of technological inventions, mostly fantastical flying machines. He claimed to have invented a fuel-less energy system using the magnetic energy of the universe, his so-called 'German atom,' constantly seeking contact with the scientific community while fearing plagiarism. His archive, rediscovered a decade after his death, reveals a brilliant mind overshadowed by mental illness, leaving a poignant legacy.

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