*talks

Adding video to channels (Talks) - requested by messenger.

That's an absolute thing of mechanical beauty.

Too bad it seems limited to just the multiplication function.

>> ^brycewi19:

That's an absolute thing of mechanical beauty.
Too bad it seems limited to just the multiplication function.


It can very obviously do addition. Every crank adds the number on the side to the number on the top, so just by changing the side between cranks, you've got an adding machine.

Less obvious is subtraction, not shown here. The hand crank on top pops up for subtraction. There's a red or silver ring on the crank that's exposed to make it obvious which mode you're in. Doing this engages an alternate gear set causing the number on the side to be subtracted from the total rather than added.

Multiplication, as demonstrated, is just adding repeatedly.

Division can be done by clever use of multiplication and subtraction. See http://www.isi.edu/~finn/curta/curta.html.

See the following video for a demonstration (but with no real explanation) of finding a square root:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haaCoVrGd6k

I want one SOOOOO bad.

Beautiful. I have to remember it for if I ever write that steampunk math thriller....

Ouch $1000-$1700 on ebay. Plenty available.

Is it really so hard to keep an object or person in frame or focus? It's a calculator, not a bourne movie, calm down with the freaking zoom button and find a tripod ffs.

*promote

Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Sunday, October 7th, 2012 10:13am PDT - promote requested by bobknight33.