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The Electronic Brain

Table Game
1950s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is an early and very simple example of a mass produced electronic game. With its lofty title, and the claim to "Answer All Questions" printed on its lid, it may have been more exciting than the elementary circuitry that powers the games intelligence. The plastic detector contains a small light bulb and battery. A question card is placed on the board and the player chooses a question from the top two rows. The wire end of the detector is held in the circular cut-out of the question square and the metal end of the detector is touched on one of the bottom two rows. If it is the correct answer, the detector lights up, due to the circuit being connected under the game board. However, due to the nature of the design, the pattern of matching squares from the top rows with the correct one from the bottom rows is always the same, no matter which question card you use.

Object details

Category
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 16 parts.

  • Box
  • Box
  • Box
  • Circuit Board
  • Gameboards
  • Gameboards
  • Gameboards
  • Gameboards
  • Gameboards
  • Gameboards
  • Gameboards
  • Gameboards
  • Gameboards
  • Game Pieces
  • Game Pieces
  • Game Pieces
TitleThe Electronic Brain (manufacturer's title)
Brief description
Electronic table game "The Electronic Brain", by Bell Toys, 1950s.
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by Elizabeth Shorthouse
Summary
This is an early and very simple example of a mass produced electronic game. With its lofty title, and the claim to "Answer All Questions" printed on its lid, it may have been more exciting than the elementary circuitry that powers the games intelligence. The plastic detector contains a small light bulb and battery. A question card is placed on the board and the player chooses a question from the top two rows. The wire end of the detector is held in the circular cut-out of the question square and the metal end of the detector is touched on one of the bottom two rows. If it is the correct answer, the detector lights up, due to the circuit being connected under the game board. However, due to the nature of the design, the pattern of matching squares from the top rows with the correct one from the bottom rows is always the same, no matter which question card you use.
Collection
Accession number
B.84:1 to 16-2011

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Record createdNovember 3, 2011
Record URL
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