My calculator died yesterday. It was a scientific calculator I’ve had for a long time. Most of the “scientific” functions I’ve forgotten how to use. Not much call for calculus functions for me today. I spend most of the time looking at rate of return, depreciation, or calculating taxes.
When I started college I got the latest calculator. It was a Post Versa Log Slide Rule. Yup! The kind of thing you can attach to you belt. I carried it on top of my Physics book. Doing multiplication, logarithms, or sine and cosine functions you’d get maybe three significant figures of accuracy, if you were really careful. Nowadays, with a calculator, you can get ten significant figures. Very seldom do I add a column of numbers or do multiplication by hand. Many things have changed during my lifetime but I think one of the most noteworthy is the power you can carry in your hand. Whether it is a calculator or a phone, everyone has constant access to technology. Well that is as long as your batteries still hold a charge. I wonder where my abacus is?
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