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Engineers Build Cray-1 Replica From 30 Old Mac Minis

Engineers at a Spanish museum assembled thirty discarded Mac Minis into a functioning Cray-1 supercomputer replica, a 1970s-style machine originally designed as a futuristic loveseat.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on Late Night BBN
Published 8:05 PM ET, Friday, October 9, 2026
Updated 11:12 PM ET · aired 2 times

Photo: Irid Escent · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Cray-1 — Photo: Irid Escent · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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Ars TechnicaA Cray-1 supercomputer replica from 30 "obsolete" Mac Minis

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentPer Ars Technica, engineers at Spain's Museo de Historia de la Computación built a working Cray-1 supercomputer replica from thirty old Mac Minis.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentBro, they took thirty dead office computers and made a legend. That's the best glow-up since my cousin got braces.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe original Cray-1 was a seventies machine that looked like a futuristic loveseat.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNow thirty tiny boxes cosplay as one. It's honestly the most reasonable thing I've seen today.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThirty Mac Minis, Nina. I can't even keep thirty browser tabs alive without my laptop screaming like a goose.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThat's a you problem. Ars calls it stylish upcycling.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe AI writing this show would call it a threat to my job, and I'm watching it.