The Utah Teapot

dang

Related. Others? The original Utah teapot(1.4L) is in stock - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31178947 - April 2022 (7 comments) Why a Computer History Museum Owns a Legendary Teapot - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29259548 - Nov 2021 (1 comment) Show HN: Teapong – A two-player game for fans of Pong and the Utah teapot - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22137758 - Jan 2020 (12 comments) Bézier Curves and Surfaces: The Utah Teapot - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19690575 - April 2019 (7 comments) The Utah Teapot: Most Important Object in Computer Graphics History - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11209690 - March 2016 (52 comments) Utah Teapot - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7280289 - Feb 2014 (17 comments)

jupitr

I wonder the reasons for adding/removing the base rims over the years

darknavi

I always knew about/used teapot in game engines and what not, but never knew the origin. I guess they want to make their mark like Stanford dragon[0]. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_dragon

jolt42

The pelican on the bike seems like the new teapot.

tniemi

The "Wilhelm scream" of 3D.

omoikane

I first saw Utah Teapot in OpenGL: https://www.opengl.org/resources/libraries/glut/spec3/node89... Surprised to see the teapot got another update this year.

GeeDoubleyou

Anyone else getting a 418 error trying to access this site?

car

The original pot is from Melitta [0]. The 3D model seems a bit squished down though. [0] https://spectrum.ieee.org/behold-the-worlds-most-famous-teap...

apitman

I work at the University of Utah. They had an incredible graphics symposium a few years ago[0]. I got a render of the teapot signed by several of the speakers, which is a prized possession. There was another guy there with an actual replica teapot which he got signed. I was pretty jealous. Sadly Alan Kay was unable to attend so I didn't get to meet him. [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui3R1Dlmsk0

xattt

Tangential & graphics-related: there is a story where Jim Foley requested a pirated Eastern European copy of his text (… which heavily features the Utah teapot) as a souvenir. He found it hilarious that every single equation in the pirated book were reverse images.

simtel20

Here is an old IBM research video on breaking the Utah teapot in 1989[1] 1. https://youtu.be/3NQuHpUyZbI?is=sjkQcadU6_IHjgr0

EvanAnderson

I saw the Utah Teapot at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View when I visited in late 2004. I didn't know it was there. I immediately started calling friends, while standing there in the "Visible Storage" exhibit gawking at it, telling each of them, breathlessly: "I'm looking at _the_ Utah teapot." I was told later by a docent that my reaction was not uncommon. >smile<

rhcom2

The Utah Teapot is filled with fry sauce.

TheJoeMan

I was just discussing with my coworker how the demo program for the 3D Spacemouse is rotating the Teapot. Takes a bit of practice, but makes CAD more fun.

wslh

Don't forget the one rendered in the Commodore Amiga [1] in Realsoft 3D [2]. [1] https://www.meskanen.com/history.html [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realsoft_3D

agildehaus

I know it well from BeOS, and the Toy Story tea party scene. Oh, and the 3D pipes screensaver.

pmg

I’ve had both an original Friesland/Melitta Utah Teapot and the ~2017 reissue. The interiors differ between the original and the reissue. The latter has an integrated ceramic strainer near the spout root not present on these models updated interior geometry. This listing appears to show a “vintage” teapot with the strainer on photo 8 - so I guess the plot steepens: https://www.ricardo.ch/de/a/melitta-friesland-minden-teekann...

fauria

There is a teapot statue in Dublin, Ireland: https://maps.app.goo.gl/v2GjqYad9n7HhHgP8