Notes

This 8-bit Processor Built in Minecraft can Run its Own Games

Computer chips have become so tiny and intricate that it's hard to remember the real physical principles behind them. They're not just a collection of ever-increasing numbers. For a practical (well virtual) example, take a look at the most recent version of a computer processor built exclusively within the Minecraft game engine.



Minecraft builder "Sammyuri" spent seven months developing what they call the Chungus 2, an enormously complex computer processor that lives in the Minecraft game engine. This project isn't the first time that a computer processor has been virtually rebuilt in Minecraft however, the Chungus 2 (Computation Humongous Unconventional Number and Graphics Unit) might very well be the biggest and most complex, as it simulates an 8-bit processor that has a one hertz clock speed and the capacity of 256 bytes of RAM.



Minecraft processors use the physics engine used in the game to recreate the architecture of real processors on a large scale, with materials including redstone dust, torchers, repeaters, pistons, levers and other machines. To give you a sense of the size of the game, each block in Minecraft is one virtual meter across. This means that it would be roughly the same size as a cruise ship or skyscraper if this build could be replicated in the real world.



When connected to an in-game 32x32 "screen" and "controller" (manipulated by a Minecraft avatar that jumps on buttons that are block-sized) Chungus 2 Chungus 2 can play interchangeable 2D games such as Tetris, Snake, or even a graphing calculator. Some programs need the Minecraft server to be artificially accelerated to make the processor fast enough for use. Mundo's blog Each program is also built virtually in Minecraft and connects to the computer like a game cartridge of the size of the freight train.



The project is an incredible application of computer science in action, created in the way that makes its concepts tangible and visible. The video showing off the Chungus 2 is dramatic enough and if you'd like to test it yourself you can download and run it on your personal server at mc.openredstone.org. If we put off a few years, we might just get a Minecraft CPU that's powerful enough to run Minecraft, at which point the universe will probably collapse.


Homepage: https://mundoimg.com/