My dad remembers how calculators changed SAT math questions. Before the calculator, you could ask “ridiculously long number ending in 7 (times) ridiculously long number ending in 9 (equals)?” …If you actually try to do that math problem, it’s a terrible time waster, but if just one choice ends in 3, that’s the automatic answer because 7*9=63 and you’re guaranteed to end in 3. With a calculator it’s a really silly and useless SAT question.
Meanwhile, here’s a question for the IC readers. Do you have a particular “question I use to test a calculator?” For me it’s 64*64=4,096. It’s a big enough problem that obviously a calculator can do without a problem, but not so small like 7-4=3 that would “insult its ‘intelligence.’”
Our first family calculator when I was a kid in the 70s actually used what I now know is called reverse Polish notation. To add 2 and 3, instead of entering "2 + 3 =" you would enter "2 ENTER 3 +"
I’m old enough to remember how calculators went from costing hundreds of dollars when I was in third or fourth grade to like eight bucks in sixth grade. I’ve always felt it would be hard to explain how nutty that felt to someone who hadn’t lived through a similar experience. It would be a bit like finding $20 iPhones at Walgreen’s next holiday season.
Love this. I remember when I had to have a TI graphing calculator for honors math in high school. I wish I still had that thing, it would be quite a relic now!
Never thought about a calculator collection till reading about Rahul. Love seeing these types of collections.
Here in Germany, specifically in Berlin, they have Technical Museums that show inventions and technology. At the Deutsches Technikmuseum, they have a section for office technology and I recall seeing some examples similar to what Rahul shows here in this interview. Very cool stuff!
My dad remembers how calculators changed SAT math questions. Before the calculator, you could ask “ridiculously long number ending in 7 (times) ridiculously long number ending in 9 (equals)?” …If you actually try to do that math problem, it’s a terrible time waster, but if just one choice ends in 3, that’s the automatic answer because 7*9=63 and you’re guaranteed to end in 3. With a calculator it’s a really silly and useless SAT question.
Meanwhile, here’s a question for the IC readers. Do you have a particular “question I use to test a calculator?” For me it’s 64*64=4,096. It’s a big enough problem that obviously a calculator can do without a problem, but not so small like 7-4=3 that would “insult its ‘intelligence.’”
Our first family calculator when I was a kid in the 70s actually used what I now know is called reverse Polish notation. To add 2 and 3, instead of entering "2 + 3 =" you would enter "2 ENTER 3 +"
My father had an adding machine like that in his office in the 1970s. I found it very confusing!
I’m old enough to remember how calculators went from costing hundreds of dollars when I was in third or fourth grade to like eight bucks in sixth grade. I’ve always felt it would be hard to explain how nutty that felt to someone who hadn’t lived through a similar experience. It would be a bit like finding $20 iPhones at Walgreen’s next holiday season.
I'm trying to remember if I had that TI Little Professor calculator as a kid or if I just *wanted* it so much that I have a false memory of having it.
Love this. I remember when I had to have a TI graphing calculator for honors math in high school. I wish I still had that thing, it would be quite a relic now!
Loved this! What’s the weekly newsletter you refer to?!
https://nonsensenyc.com/
Never thought about a calculator collection till reading about Rahul. Love seeing these types of collections.
Here in Germany, specifically in Berlin, they have Technical Museums that show inventions and technology. At the Deutsches Technikmuseum, they have a section for office technology and I recall seeing some examples similar to what Rahul shows here in this interview. Very cool stuff!