Computing power?

[Trotbot]

Someone claimed that there is more computing power in a modern washing machine that put the first men on the moon. Is this true or is it an urban myth?

[Cheeris]

This is true, sort of, assuming you mean the computing power actually on board the Apollo spacecrafts.
Remember that compact personal computers only became available for sale in the early 70s, and only had a minuscule amount of memory and computing power compared to computers today (or even 20 years ago!). The computers available to NASA to place on board Apollo a few years previous were the very first to use integrated circuits and were absolutely new and cutting edge technology. Computers today however have had 40 more years of development behind them and can be found in almost everything as they are so cheap and flexible. It probably depends on the washing machine but it is very likely that the control chips in an average modern washing machine has more computing power than the Apollo CSM or LM.

However, it must be pointed out that NASA also had hundreds of additional computers back on Earth which all contributed to putting a man on the Moon...

[Whickerman]

Weeeeelllll, it's most likely true. I can't find definitive proof, but in 1969 the microchip wasn't exactly powerful, and most computers were housed in huge airconditioned rooms as they were vast in size. The moon lander was tiny...

(That's if they did actually land on the moon in 69.)

[Whickerman]

Bizzarre. this question sits there for 9 hours and then 2 of us answer at once...