Even if almost tragically impractical in a world where digital calculators are cheap as chips, mechanical calculators and their big mechanical computer brethren remain an absolute marvel of ...

Mechanical calculators are an engineering marvel unknown to most people. The most advanced mechanical calculator ever built, the Curta calculator, fits into the palm of your hand and uses dozens of ...

Earlier this year, [Dan Maloney] went inside mechanical calculators. Being the practical sort, [Dan] jumped right into the Pascaline invented by Blaise Pascal. It couldn’t multiply or divide. He then ...

Before the electronic calculator, there was the mechanical calculator, a heavy device often about the size of a small computer that cost thousands in today’s dollars. They were indispensable tools ...

Dividing by zero is complicated and we all know it's something you can't and shouldn't do. The simple—but still not perfect—explanation is that if you divide something by zero, the answer approaches ...

Iofree has created a new retro mechanical calculator called the Digit which it has launched via Kickstarter this week and already blasted past its required pledge goal thanks to over 450 backers with ...

Everyone learns in grade school that you can’t divide by zero, but few of us ever learn (or fully understand) why. The stock answer is that it gives you an answer of infinity. The truth is a bit more ...

Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work covers anything from archaeology and the environment to technology and culture. Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work ...

I first learned about the Curta from this January 2004 article in Scientific American, by Cliff Stoll. Unfortunately, the article is not available for free. But you can purchase a PDF of the whole Jan ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Technology journalist specializing in audio, computing and Apple Macs. This article is more than 5 years old. The Blossom White ...

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. The Curta was a small, hand-cranked ...

I was just in an email ‘conversation’ with someone when I mentioned my Curta mechanical calculator, and he responded “Pictures Please!” so here we are… Just in case you haven’t heard about this before ...