I know what it means to work hard on machines

[venta]

I need your help. Yes, yours.

Could you tell me - before you read what's under the cut - what you think constitutes a machine. Include any specific things it must or must not have. You may continue in comments if a textbox isn't long enough.

[Poll #1186515]

Recently I was involved in a guessing game. As games go, it wasn't a great one, it was "guess what Simon's second favourite sport is". Now, Simon is your typical pale, thin, smart indiekid who, in defiance of all stereotypes, plays a lot of football.

At the point at which I joined in the game, it had already been established that Simon's Second Favourite Sport (SSFS) involved a machine. Further questions established that the machine was not used for scoring, was integral to the sport...

Eventually, SSFS was identified as cycling. At which point I felt decidedly cheated. Firstly, because I don't think cycling is a sport - it's a means of getting from A to B, or at best a passtime. But I'm aware others don't agree on this one.

Secondly, I'd never call a bicycle a machine. I'm aware that they have been historically referred to as machines, but whenever I read it it strikes me as odd. After some thinking, I finally pinned down the problem: in my mind, a machine must be somehow powered (oil, gas, electricity, clockwork, but not human).

I feel it should also have moving parts, and perform some task which would otherwise be done laboriously by hand. However, the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that my definition wouldn't stand up in a court of law. My classification is much more arbitrary than I'd thought.

So...

[Poll #1186516]

When challenged, I insisted that bicycles should be categorised as "contraptions".

Comments

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

By washer I assume you mean the small metal disc that sits between a bolt head and the thing it's bolted to, rather than a washing-machine?

As a former physicist, to me a machine is pretty much anythng that converts, transmits or applies force. So eg. a bicycle transmits the force applied by your leg muscles to its wheel rims.

If you require the force to be "powered" and generally non-human in origin, I suspect that would be something more approaching the definition of "an engine"?

On another note, I think the folks at the Tour de France etc would be a bit sad to hear that what they're doing isn't a sport. I agree that cycling just to get from A to B isn't a sport, but cycle racing definitely should be I think.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Um, no, I meant washing machine - I was just trying to avoid using the word 'machine' where I could.

Cycle racing is a sport (I agree grudgingly), but he didn't say that. He said cycling, which I view as quite different (even if you're effectively "racing" against your own times).

I do not claim my approaches to machines or sport are consistent or even sensible :)

[ao-lai.livejournal.com]

Ah, I could only assume the other definition of washer... Never mind, eh? :)

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

As a former physicist, to me a machine is pretty much anythng that converts, transmits or applies force.

What he said, pretty much.

[leathellin.livejournal.com]

That covers what I said in my answer as well.
Even if I didn't do any physics about a-level :-)

[ao-lai.livejournal.com]

Fourthed. What they said.

It's probably something to do with Mechanical Advantage, as well...