Hello AI, could you explain to me how radar works and where it is applied? Please explain it in simple terms, as I am not so familiar with these things.
Sure, I can explain how radar works in simple terms.

Radar stands for radio detection and ranging. It is a technology that uses radio waves to detect and locate objects. A radar system consists of a transmitter that emits a radio wave signal, a receiver that picks up the signal after it has been reflected off an object, and a computer that analyzes the received signal to determine the location, speed, and other characteristics of the object.

When the radio wave signal emitted by the radar transmitter hits an object, it is reflected back to the radar receiver. By measuring the time it takes for the signal to travel to the object and back, the radar can determine the distance to the object. The radar can also measure the Doppler shift of the reflected signal, which provides information about the speed and direction of the object.

Radar is used in many different applications, including:

Air traffic control: Radar is used to track the location of airplanes and ensure that they maintain a safe distance from each other.

Weather forecasting: Radar is used to track storms and other weather patterns, allowing meteorologists to predict weather conditions.

Military surveillance: Radar is used to detect and track enemy aircraft, missiles, and other threats.

Navigation: Radar is used in marine and aviation navigation to determine the location of ships and airplanes.

Automotive safety: Radar is used in modern cars to provide features such as adaptive cruise control, collision warning, and blind spot detection.

Overall, radar is a versatile technology that has many important applications in modern life.
Does a radar only work in combination with a computer? I feel like old radar systems have been around before computers, but maybe my intuition is wrong on that...
Your intuition  doesn't fail you. Radar systems were developed before computers, and early radar systems did not require computers to function. However, the ability to process radar signals and display them on a screen has greatly improved with the advent of digital computers.

Early radar systems used cathode ray tubes (CRTs) to display the radar data. The radar operator would observe the CRT and use it to identify objects in the vicinity of the radar. Later on, radar systems started using computers to process the radar signals, which allowed for more advanced signal processing techniques and more sophisticated displays. Today, most radar systems still use a combination of analog and digital components, but the data processing and display components are almost always digital.

So, while it's not strictly necessary to use a computer with a radar system, the computer greatly enhances the capabilities of the radar and allows for more sophisticated data processing and display.