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Thought I was maybe starting to become somewhat proficient with the #soroban. Then I saw this.

youtu.be/s6OmqXCsYt8

At least I know how proficient it's possible to become.



So, once I'd becone reasonably proficient with the #soroban, my next step was going to be learning how to use a #SlideRule. Unfortunately, it seems as though nobody makes the latter any more.
in reply to Jonathan Lamothe

Yes quite a useful tool at the time but 55+ years ago for me and knowledge has faded. Calculators were banned as being economically elitist. A basic calculator could cost as much as a term's tuition.


I've been using a web site for #soroban practice that generates exercise sheets. They offer a service where they'll send you a worksheet by email on a scheduled basis, and I finally signed up for that. When I did, I was presented with a captcha. I normally despise these, but I think I'll let this one slide.


I've been working through some #soroban exercises try to actually become reasonably proficient in its use. Interestingly enough, I'm doing much better with multiplicaiton/divison than I am with the addition/subtraction questions, but that's because the latter involve summing a column of values rather than just multiplying two numbers. There are more places to screw up.

Still, these questions seem designed to deliberately screw me up with things like multiple carries, changing the value on a rod just to immediately revert that change, etc.

Still, it's probably that way for a reason.

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