Who knows how to use a slide rule?

[cally]

Poll question: Who knows how to use a slide rule?

Yep, this is for us nerds.

[bigwillq]

1. I bet arwalden does!!!

But I still love him!

[arwalden]

15. They Make My Palms Sweat... Hubba-hubba!

[hlthe2b]

2. Abacus Rule!!!!!!!!!!

:evilgrin:

(actually they DO, in some cultures. I've seen Arabs run through a series of complex figures, faster than a calculator on one)

[fr3]

5. dont you mean "abaci rule"?

Used a slip stick when I was in 5th grade.

The teacher took it away from me since she said it gave me an unfair advantage.

[Dudley_DUright]

3. I remember taking a summer school course back in Jr. High

on how to use one, but fortunately for me, calculators were just then becoming affordable and easily available. Now I am a calculator cripple and could not do long division to save my life (frankly I find calculus much easier).

[HereSince1628]

4. What I hated was approximating the last digits...

calculators, spreadsheets, math programs are so much easier and do so so much more...my slide rule is part of my personal archive of now useless educational artifacts.

[flamingyouth]

6. I do!

:hi:

[cally]

7. Well, I learned

I do know how to use one, but not well. My Dad had a tie clip that was a slide rule. He tells me that he could visualize a slide rule and solve most problems. He now uses a calculator.

[donco6]

8. I learned, but I'm old and forgetful. eom

[bleedingheart]

9. I learned in engineering school

ah the memories....

I even got a pocket protector when I went to college....

[kodi]

10. i do too.

still have mine and when i subbed at a high school math class this past year brought it with me and showed the 15 year olds how to use it.

[PittPoliSci]

11. calculator!

even though I never even had to use that for the stuff you need a slide ruler for.

woohoo! college algebra and that was it for me!

[bobbieinok]

12. still remember all the cool kids in hi-school + college who carried one

[starroute]

13. I had to use one for AP chemistry in high school

But that was back in the old days.

I actually have two sliderules. One cheap one I bought for the class and a better-quality one in a leather case that a math teacher friend of my parents gave me. They're still kicking around somewhere.

When my kids were little and I read them the Heinlein juvenile "Red Planet," they had no trouble with the futuristic stuff but I had to explain what a sliderule was. I dug mine out to show them and they were fascinated by the retro-tech.

[politicat]

16. I've got my grandfather's.

He taught me to use it before I started school.

He also taught me a lot of numbers games. I can do most complex "consumer math" in my head - multiplying 3 digit numbers, long division of decimals (handy for mileage), percentages of percentages - because of those early tricks.

He was an electrician who didn't know how to relate to a fairly quiet, very curious little girl... so he taught her math. I'm eternally grateful that he did.

Pcat

[Kolesar]

14. I still use logarithms at work

A vendor gave me a slide rule that does power calculations. I can use it to calculate things such as P(dBm) = 10*log(P1/Po).

[Bertha Venation]

18. Will that calculation tell me how many

ounces of water I'll have to squirt at Daddy The Cat before he will leave us alone at dinner?

No?

Then I'm clueless. Although it does sound really cool.

[Bertha Venation]

17. I have always wanted to know. But I REALLY wanted to learn after I saw

"Apollo 13." You know the scene I mean? Hilarious.

[Briarius]

19. I'm 23 and I know how!

just cause I'm a geek I picked up a book at a hamfest just so I could learn. I don't use it very much, but I could if I had to.

[cally]

20. I read Sci Fi sometimes

and it makes me feel safer that folks know how to use the old technology. Slide Rules do work well.

[DemoTex]

21. I'm a geek. Georgia Tech graduate. Slide rule on belt! Pocker-protector!

I am pretty good at calculus too. For an old fart!

[hunter]

22. Me.

It was almost like sex, at least it was before I knew anything about sex.

[MrSandman]

23. I learned the SR and abacus...

Haven't used either in years.