phrase meaning

[puzzle]

It's not yet know whether a computer has its own consciousness, and it would be hard to find out about this.When you walk into one of those great halls now built for the huge machines and standing listening, it is easy to imagine that the faint distant noises are the sound of thinking, and the turning of the spools give them the look of wild creatures rolling their eyes in the effort to concentrate,choking with information.

:?:What's the meaning of black words?Please.

 

[David L.]

This seems to be a reference to a bank of computers of some years ago, when spools of magnetic tape, about 15" in diameter, were used to store information. You would have two per computer, just like in the old reel-to reel tape recorders; and to make them easy to reach, they would be at eye level near the upper part of the computer, and so they would look like giant whirling eyes themselves as they turned.

 

[puzzle]

I.This seems to be a reference to a bank of computers of some years ago.
:?:The blacks mean computers only used in bank? They are still be used now?

II. The turning of spools
:?:I checked the dictionary which says "turning" means "turn the corner". What does it mean exactly in this case?

Please

 

[David L.]

From another dictionary:
bank 1 |ba ng k|
noun
1 the land alongside or sloping down to a river or lake : willows lined the riverbank.
2 a slope, mass, or mound of a particular substance : a bank of clouds | a bank of snow.
• an elevation in the seabed or a riverbed; a mudbank or sandbank.
• a transverse slope given to a road, railroad, or sports track to enable vehicles or runners to maintain speed around a curve.
• the sideways tilt of an aircraft when turning in flight : flying with small amounts of bank.
3 a set or series of similar things, esp. electrical or electronic devices, grouped together in rows : the DJ had big banks of lights and speakers on either side of his console.
• a tier of oars : the early ships had only twenty-five oars in each bank.
4 the cushion of a pool table : [as adj. ] a bank shot.

bank 2 |bøŋk| |baŋk|
noun
a financial establishment that invests money deposited by customers, pays it out when required, makes loans at interest, and exchanges currency : I paid the money straight into my bank.
• a stock of something available for use when required : a blood bank | building a bank of test items is the responsibility of teachers.
• a place where something may be safely kept : the computer's memory bank.
• ( the bank) the store of money or tokens held by the banker in some gambling or board games.
• the person holding this store; the banker.
• Brit. a site or receptacle where something may be deposited for recycling : a paper bank.

turn |tərn|
verb
1 move or cause to move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point : [ intrans. ] the big wheel was turning | [ trans. ] I turned the key in the door and crept in.

Now the wheel turns
Yesterday the wheel turned
It has turned
It had turned
It is turning
It was turning

turning |ˈtərni ng | |ˈtərnɪŋ| |ˈtəːnɪŋ|
noun
1 a place where a road branches off another : take the first turning on the right.
2 the action or skill of using a lathe.
• ( turnings) shavings of wood or metal resulting from turning something on a lathe.

 

[puzzle]

I'm appreciated.One more question:
Such computers (with rolling eyes) are still in use?

 

[puzzle]

the turning of spools: turning here is a gerund. Right?

 

[David L.]

I'm appreciated.One more question:
Such computers (with rolling eyes) are still in use?

I'm appreciative (of your time and trouble)
I appreciate your help.

I very much doubt it. Magnetic tape is now out-dated, and I think that hard-disk drives would be used for storage, which allow the same instant access at any point, just like CDs and DVDs. (If something is stored on the spool of tape at the very end, then the whole tape would have to be spooled through to find it - hence, one reason for the spools to be whirling like giant eyes!

Yes, a gerund or verbal noun.

 

[David L.]

I'm appreciated.One more question:
Such computers (with rolling eyes) are still in use?

I'm appreciative (of your time and trouble)
I appreciate your help.

I very much doubt it. Magnetic tape is now out-dated, and I think that hard-disk drives would be used for storage, which allow instant access to data at any point, just like CDs and DVDs. (If something is stored on a spool of tape at the very end, then the whole tape would have to be spooled through to find it - hence, one reason for the spools to be whirling like giant eyes!

Yes, a gerund or verbal noun.