This is going to be a wild rambling ride. In 1939 a computer called Nimatron was made. It was one of the earliest digital electronic computers in the world. It did one thing: play a game called Nim. Over a decade later, in 1951, another Nim machine hit the scene. This computer called Nimrod, was designed to demonstrate how computers worked... by playing a game of Nim. These machines, humble as they may sound, end up deeply complicating the history of computing. Join me as I, once again, muddy the long arc of progress.   Selected Sources:   https://archive.org/details/faster-than-thought-b.-v.-bowden - Faster Than Thought   https://www.goodeveca.net/nimrod/NIMROD_Guide.html - Faster Than Thought