Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site aecom.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!philabs!aecom!werner From: werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) Newsgroups: net.college Subject: Re: Slide Rules before calculators Message-ID: <1018@aecom.UUCP> Date: Thu, 13-Dec-84 17:18:55 EST Article-I.D.: aecom.1018 Posted: Thu Dec 13 17:18:55 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 16-Dec-84 05:07:44 EST References: <1668@ucf-cs.UUCP>, <5600002@uiucuxa.UUCP> <1849@burdvax.UUCP> Organization: Albert Einstein Coll. of Med., NY Lines: 24 > { ... zzzzzzzz} > Sure it is okay to use calculators in school for complex functions but not > before you can do the basics on your own. An ability to estimate the range > of the answer is pretty useful too. Maybe we should teach the use of slide > rules beore they can use a calculator!! :-) > > Chris Smith ==>> {bpa,psuvax,sdcrdcf}!burdvax!ccsmith Why the :-) after that suggestion. I protest. I went to school just at the very time calculators were coming down (As a freshman, $89; as a Senior, $19). We had to learn slide-rules for the first Chem test, after which we could use a Calculator. (1977-78 was the year). I never bought a calculator that entire year, kept the slide rule, and was faster than most of the other people. It fit in a book. (Back then calculators were big and bulky, not credit cards) Not only that, to this day, I can do rough multiplication and calculations in my head -- because I had to. The suggestion may seem like a joke. But I say it is a very good idea!!! -- Craig Werner !philabs!aecom!werner What do you expect? Watermelons are out of season!