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Are slide rules still useful? I mean, are there calculations that are more convenient to do with a slide rule than a calculator?
by generalizations 6y ago
Are slide rules still useful? I mean, are there calculations that are more convenient to do with a slide rule than a calculator?
- kqr 6y agoSure. One undeniable advantage they have is when it comes to scaling multiple numbers by the same factor (for example in the kitchen.) You just set it to the scaling factor and then don't touch it again. Reading off a scaled number is as easy as it gets. There are other softer benefits too, such as making the quantities in the computation somehow more... visceral.
- HarryHirsch 6y agoDon't pilots have them in the cockpit? Easier to calculate remaining fuel on a slide rule than on a calculator, because the analog nature gives a plausibility check. Wikipedia has an article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E6B https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E6B