TOOLS OF SCIENCE
A series of meetings
hosted by The Physics Museum,
The University of Queensland
For students, scientists,
engineers, historians of science and technology, teachers,
collectors, and all those fascinated by old scientific instruments
| August
23 Lindsay Ball |
Mechanical Calculators |
The talk surveys the development of mechanical calculators from their beginnings in the seventeenth century to their ultimate demise following the commercial availability of electronic calculators in the 1960's and 70's. The discussion concentrates on the heyday of mechanical calculation in the mid 20th century with particular reference to the arithmetical methods used to make calculations faster and more efficient. The talk will be illustrated with machines from the Physics Museum and the author's collection. Lindsay Ball is a graduate of the University of Queensland. He has a long standing interest in astronomy, science and mathematics and has been collecting old calculators for some years. He currently works as a software developer and adult educator. |
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