Thursday, November 21, 2013

I Learn Something Every Day

I used a slide rule for several years in high school, but nobody ever told me that the Thesaurus guy invented the log log scale.

Slide rule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: In 1815, Peter Mark Roget invented the log log slide rule, which included a scale displaying the logarithm of the logarithm. This allowed the user to directly perform calculations involving roots and exponents. This was especially useful for fractional powers.

9 comments:

Dale said...

I bet Seepy knew that.

Unknown said...

No doubt about it.

Anonymous said...

I used a slide rule too but I never really got it, to be honest.

I still don't.


Jeff

Unknown said...

I can still multiply and divide with one, but I've forgotten square roots and such.

Rick Robinson said...

I guess I was right at the end of the slide rule generations. My older brother used one, but I never did, and the use of one is a mystery to me. They look cool, though.

157 said...

Used one in high school when those new-fangled calculators were the size of shoe boxes and only the rich kids could afford them. I wouldn't have a clue how to use one today.

Deb said...

157 = Deb; got my word verification and my name confused. Happens to the best of us.

Unknown said...

Dang, I was hoping I had a new reader.

Cap'n Bob said...

I found one on the street when I was about 12. It had a nice leather holster. I knew what it was but had no idea how to use it. After a couple of weeks I gave it to one of the men building new houses on the next block. That is my full acquaintance with the instrument.