Could Minecraft be that little thing that teaches kids about logic? Maybe Jeb and co. should consider adding even simpler logic based building blocks, more akin to Lego's Mindstorm as an alternative to relays and switches.
I find it fascinating to think in 10-20 years many will be looking back fondly on how they learned to hack with an unassuming little game: Minecraft.
There is an unbelievable amount of potential in Minecraft that is completely untapped. It's really an amazing environment and I'm surprised it hasn't spawned "sandbox games" as a completely separate and significant genre, especially since a big reason Minecraft remains "untapped" is Notch's reticence to open the platform up and push the game forward.
I am really afraid that although this 16-year old (I don't like the patronizing kid word) has made something of immense creativity and of intrinsic value, he'll face such a drastic world that limits a lot of creative potential by the idiosyncrasies of mature reality.
I really hope talented people like this guy be given full-throttle. They are the real capital, not the tools.
I think this would be one of the few cases to list video games on a college/job application. I'll be honest that I didn't watch all 10 minutes, but it seems like he's using some complex methods, especially for a 16 year old. Props to him, one hell of a hacker!
In the game there is a resource known as redstone. It can be acquired underground when mining in the game or made available in the game's creative mode. With it you can build various kinds of circuits. The game also includes various input and output blocks, such as buttons, switches, lights, and pistons. Put together, the player can do anything from as simple as a button opening a door to as complex as the article describes.
You can build any logic gate you want, with layout being the hard part (just like IRL...). You can build a computer in Minecraft if you want to. I believe that several people have [1].
To be honest, I think it's a great way to learn about electronics. I know what all the gates do from having taken EE classes, but Minecraft has made some of them a bit more intuitive. Maybe it's just because you can see the things being energized/de-energized, but it does help me think about the different gates/latches/etc. and their interactions.
[1] This is but a small sample of things that might be called computers that have been built in Minecraft:
There’s a redstone resource, which you can lay down as wires. These behave like electronic circuits. There are some special blocks like redstone torches and repeaters.
Some other blocks can be powered or triggered by redstone, for example pistons that push blocks, doors and item dispensers.
There are a variety of switches and buttons, wire, NOR gates, and a small handful of mechanical devices, the most important of which are pistons that allow you to move blocks around.
It's not necessary. But it does make a difference to the story. Some one who'd had years of education and gone through a good college and has worked in the industry could have made this, and everyone would have been impressed. The fact that this young person created this without all that is impressive.
And, depending what media you have access to, there's not often good news about young people.
I honestly love seeing stuff like this -- it's really cool.
But part of me always wonders, "I wonder what this kid could've built if he had a more meaningful project in mind?"
I understand that you need to have a certain amount of "fun" before you can do "serious" things, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that he didn't "dream bigger."
It's not really a criticism. This kid is probably really smart, but I wish it was easy to create environments for such people to really flourish to their full potential.
What do you mean by 'more meaningful'? I think it is fantastic that he managed to be so creative that he managed to turn a game into a calculator, something it clearly wasn't intended to be.
That shows a lot of skill and resourcefulness, it also shows quite a bit of dedication and stamina. All of those are great traits and I'm sure the experience improved on these.
This impresses me very much.
Can you give an example of what you would consider to be a more meaningful project? Something that you would consider to be approaching full potential?
As I said elsewhere, I think Minecraft provides a great environment for prototyping for someone who doesn't have a background in electronics. I don't see anything wrong with this at all. I reckon the builder probably does "dream bigger", and uses Minecraft as an exercise and/or sandbox. Is there a reason he shouldn't do that?
I am curious why so many people interpret this as a sign of an addiction and wasted time instead of a purely awesome accomplishment in self-education. Few people keep "build something cool in Minecraft" as their only aspiration in life.
He is sixteen. "Meaningful" has a different definition for someone that age. I am in awe of the achievement not only because of the stupendous scope and complexity, but the sheer willpower and colossal amount of time it must have taken.
I hope the kid gets a lot of mileage out of it and goes onto great things. At the very least, he has earned his geek union card for life.
How would one decide what their full potential was? Or perhaps, deeper, who would decide what their full potential was?
Seems like a massive achievement to me, and that such effort and focus will translate well into the real world and if it doesn't for him personally, it could well spur others on.
Almost 500,000 people have watched a video of his creation. What is not meaningful about attracting the sort of crowd many artists dream of attracting? Technical aspects aside, what is not meaningful about entertaining 500,000 people?
This is today's version of building your own computer on wire wrap in your garage. I don't think you'd go back in time and tell Woz/Jobs that the Home Computing Club or the Apple 1 weren't useful. If a 16 year old understands in detail how a graphing calculator works from a raw bit-logic level, then I think it speaks that they'll have a much more interesting career in store for them than 99.99% of 16 year olds.
Minecraft is awesome because it provides a convenient and ready simulator for this kind of work. It gets people interested and involved. It just seems much more accessible than downloading a "real" simulator somewhere online. I think MC provides a great mechanism for exploration in electronics/circuitry and something like this proves it. What do you want this person to do instead?
bryanh|14 years ago
I find it fascinating to think in 10-20 years many will be looking back fondly on how they learned to hack with an unassuming little game: Minecraft.
cookiecaper|14 years ago
iwwr|14 years ago
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/365357-123-eloraams-mods...
The mods are really what set Minecraft apart.
ThomPete|14 years ago
You might be on to something there.
arithma|14 years ago
I really hope talented people like this guy be given full-throttle. They are the real capital, not the tools.
tmh88j|14 years ago
jacquesm|14 years ago
tibbon|14 years ago
psycho|14 years ago
arethuza|14 years ago
PhrosTT|14 years ago
I know you get 1x1 blocks of wood/stone/etc. How do the pieces move? Are there simple on/off switches? Gunpowder + fire for wires?
pixelcort|14 years ago
Natsu|14 years ago
http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Redstone_Circuits
You can build any logic gate you want, with layout being the hard part (just like IRL...). You can build a computer in Minecraft if you want to. I believe that several people have [1].
To be honest, I think it's a great way to learn about electronics. I know what all the gates do from having taken EE classes, but Minecraft has made some of them a bit more intuitive. Maybe it's just because you can see the things being energized/de-energized, but it does help me think about the different gates/latches/etc. and their interactions.
[1] This is but a small sample of things that might be called computers that have been built in Minecraft:
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/working-16-bit-computer-bu...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB684ym3QY4
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/02/15/10-incredible-minecraft-cr...
sjmulder|14 years ago
Some other blocks can be powered or triggered by redstone, for example pistons that push blocks, doors and item dispensers.
dyselon|14 years ago
simonbrown|14 years ago
http://boingboing.net/2010/11/12/working-8-bit-cpu-in.html
exch|14 years ago
fruchtose|14 years ago
10dpd|14 years ago
jebblue|14 years ago
Melyan|14 years ago
DanBC|14 years ago
And, depending what media you have access to, there's not often good news about young people.
artursapek|14 years ago
shantanubala|14 years ago
But part of me always wonders, "I wonder what this kid could've built if he had a more meaningful project in mind?"
I understand that you need to have a certain amount of "fun" before you can do "serious" things, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that he didn't "dream bigger."
It's not really a criticism. This kid is probably really smart, but I wish it was easy to create environments for such people to really flourish to their full potential.
jacquesm|14 years ago
That shows a lot of skill and resourcefulness, it also shows quite a bit of dedication and stamina. All of those are great traits and I'm sure the experience improved on these.
This impresses me very much.
Can you give an example of what you would consider to be a more meaningful project? Something that you would consider to be approaching full potential?
cookiecaper|14 years ago
I am curious why so many people interpret this as a sign of an addiction and wasted time instead of a purely awesome accomplishment in self-education. Few people keep "build something cool in Minecraft" as their only aspiration in life.
angdis|14 years ago
I hope the kid gets a lot of mileage out of it and goes onto great things. At the very least, he has earned his geek union card for life.
geden|14 years ago
Seems like a massive achievement to me, and that such effort and focus will translate well into the real world and if it doesn't for him personally, it could well spur others on.
Tsagadai|14 years ago
HardyLeung|14 years ago
tibbon|14 years ago
cookiecaper|14 years ago