
Napier's bones (Napier's Rods) - dsr12
http://history-computer.com/CalculatingTools/NapiersBones.html
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stared
Ludwik Fleck's "Genesis and development of a scientific fact" goes very much
in the line of looking at science as a gradual progress, with many failed
attempts. written by winners. (Written pre-WW2; it served as an inspiration
for Khun.) Its most eye-opening example is the history of [the
concept/knowledge/science/... of] syphilis, from ancient to modern times. PDF
(of print from 1979):
[http://www.evolocus.com/Textbooks/Fleck1979.pdf](http://www.evolocus.com/Textbooks/Fleck1979.pdf)

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stared
I wanted to write it under
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11030593](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11030593),
but posted in in a different tab. Sorry for that.

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iaw
I actually just saw these for the first time on Sunday at the Computer History
Museum in Mountain View.

The main attraction was the final cranking of Babbages Difference Engine No.2
Serial 2, that thing is gorgeous in operation.

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joezydeco
I had an awesome math teacher in 3rd grade that taught us how to make these
out of popsicle sticks and use them.

I always wondered why stuff like this never catches on in a school's math
curriculum. Perhaps it's viewed as a gimmick that is impractical in the real
world?

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knughit
I learned Napier's bones in school too. It is impractical nowadays, but I
think it shows some of the fascinating beauty of math that can inspire kids.

