Collaborate Disseminate
Most people have heard of or seen slide rules, with older generations likely having used these devices in school and at their jobs. As purely analog computers these ingenious devices …read more Continue reading The Genius of Slide Rule Precision
Logarithms are a common idea today, even though we don’t use them as often as we used to. After all, one of the major uses of logarithms is to simplify …read more Continue reading Joost Bürgi and Logarithms
We have to like [Nicola Marras]. First, he wrote a great mini-book about analog computers. Then he translated it into English. Finally, he opened with a picture of Mr. Spock …read more Continue reading Calculation Before We Went Digital
If you predate the pocket calculator, you may remember slide rules. But slide rules take a a little skill to use. There was a market for other devices that were …read more Continue reading Pocket Calculator isn’t a Brain or Magic
When is a line not a line? When it’s a series of tiny dots, of course! That’s the technique [Ed Nisley] used to create a super-fine, colored hairline in a …read more Continue reading Laser-Engraving Hairlines: When a Line Isn’t a Line
What is a hacker, if not somebody who comes up with solutions that other just don’t see? All the pieces may be in place, but it takes that one special …read more Continue reading Genaille’s Rods: When Paint Sticks Do Math
Around here we mostly enjoy slide rules. We even have our own collections including some cylindrical and circular ones. But [Mathologer] discusses a recent Reddit post that explains a circular …read more Continue reading Rubber Band “Slide Rule” Doesn’t Slide, but Rotates
We are always impressed with something so simple can actually be so complex. For example, what would you think goes into an analog computer? Of course, a “real” analog computer …read more Continue reading Circuit VR: The Wheatstone Bridge Analog Computer
You have to really like slide rules to build your own, including the necessary artwork. Apparently [Dylan Thinnes] is a big fan, based on this project he began working on …read more Continue reading Design and Build Your Own Circular Slide Rule
In the grand scheme of things, it really wasn’t all that long ago that a slide rule was part of an engineer’s every day equipment. Long before electronic calculators came along, a couple of sticks of wood inscribed with accurate scales was all it took to do everything from simple …read more
Continue reading Homebrew Slide Rule Gets Back to Mathematical Basics