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Thread ID: 122602 2012-01-02 08:20:00 Apollo 13. martynz (5445) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1251718 2012-01-02 21:05:00 Yes I will put my hand up and say although I have seen slide rules I don't know how they work, I do know that someone skilled in the use of an abacus can do addition faster than most of us can with a calculator. I do think calculators should not be used for exams though as it proves nothing except that you can push buttons.

Fine if you want a job at a nuclear weapons launch site, useless for anything else
gary67 (56)
1251719 2012-01-02 21:16:00 Came in expecting a picture of a sliderule.

Looked one up.

No idea what I'm looking at here.
--Wolf-- (128)
1251720 2012-01-02 21:43:00 Came in expecting a picture of a sliderule.

Looked one up.

No idea what I'm looking at here.

Sliderule mentioned here. (rugaremusings.blogspot.com)
kahawai chaser (3545)
1251721 2012-01-02 21:47:00 So much of NCEA is formula/calculator based no. Its almost too easy. There is no knowledge about HOW and WHY everything works. We get told that you do this becase is works. Dont need to know why, all you need to know is that you substitute a with y to work out x. Its sad, my uncle was tutoring me for maths before the exams, the stuff he knows is great but I actually couldn't follow with him because he was describing stuff that we had been taught but I didnt understand it. We got the same answers but he knew what was going on and why. I didn't.
About twenty five years ago they asked some teacher trainees these algebra questions they had asked some twelve year olds back in about 1910 and guess which group did the best. That's right the twelve year olds.
mikebartnz (21)
1251722 2012-01-02 21:59:00 There are a number of videos on YouTube demonstrating sliderule use. martynz (5445)
1251723 2012-01-03 03:47:00 I still have my sliderule somewhere around - it's a circular one.

I used to love logarithm work, but sadly think I chucked the book out some years ago...
johcar (6283)
1251724 2012-01-03 07:49:00 Sliderule for me in high school ... no calculators. '68 - '71 Quite quick and easy if you know how to use them and still have mine ... on easy calculations I used to be able to beat my kids when they were at Intermediate .... AAhhhh .... those were the days ... when the kids actually though you were smarter than them ... :D SP8's (9836)
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