Re: Not Just the US With Education Problems

Walter Bushell <proto@xxxxxxx> wrote:
In article <6ask8qF38sc6eU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
"alwaysaskingquestions" <alwaysaskingquestions@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Some of it may have to do with personal inclination - I have always been
fascinated with both puzzles in general and with knowing how things work; in
my first job - just before the introduction of desktop calculators - I had
to learn how to use a slide rule and was thought it was a fantastic
invention.

Just how old are you. Frieden calculators from the styling my predate
WWII and maybe I.

The Friden calculator was in major use up through 1970. I recall
doing the calculations for a paper on one in that year.

Fridens had 10 digit keyboards and the high end models could
automatically extract square roots of 20 digit numbers.

See <http://www.oldcalculatormuseum.com/fridenstw.html> for
a view of a late model.

The mechanical calculator is arguably the finest example of the
mechanical engineer's art. They were enormously complex
instruments powered by an electric motor. The insides were
a three dimensional mass of gears, levers, cams, and whatnots.
The reference above shows some "inside" shots.

The pocket calculator killed them off fairly quickly.

--
--- Paul J. Gans

.

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  • Re: Not Just the US With Education Problems
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    (talk.origins)