Community Chat

[JeanLouiseFinch]

I had one, couldn't understand how to use it, but at least I looked smart.  LOL

[shoekitty]

@SilleeMee  my husband said there  was an older Head engineer, highly revered for his work in their dept. He was Chinese, and used an Abacus clear into late 80's and early 1990's, when he retired. They often had him calculate on abacus, and then compare to the new calculator.  He was on the money. He didn't use it always.  But he used slide rule and abacus...I don't think he liked calculator lol

[kitcat51]

yes.

[RescueLover]

Never heard of a slide ruler.   Is it like a tape measure ?

[Sakuya]

A slide ruler is before my time. I have only heard of it because it was in the movie The Right Stuff. Until this thread I didn't know it was used like a calculator.

[FranandZoe]

I loved math but had a hard time with the slide rule.

[drizzellla]

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@LuvSoCal wrote:

@Jo1313 I can still picture my dad studying at the dining room table for upcoming exams. He was a wiz at using a slide rule. This was back in the 60s when I was in grade school.

Thankfully, they were out of vogue by the time I got a little older and I never had to learn how to use one. Like you, it made no sense to me.

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I also watched my Dad frequently using a slide rule. When I was cleaning out their house after my parents died, I found no less than 12 slide rules. All kinds of sizes. He even had a circular one. 

I never learned or tried to learn. By the time my classes in school needed more advanced calculations - I had a calculator.

[mrshckynut]

@drizzellla  no

mrshckynut 

[Desertdi]

Yes, in early grammar school.     I was mathematically challenged.   I needed help!    (This was before hand-held calculators).

[They CallMe MRWILKES]

Oh yes!  Beginning in high school physics. 

After that, it was required for college chemistry and physics.   Hand held calculators were still not allowed!