blake wrote on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:26:57 -0400:

> On Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:37:44 -0500, Andy wrote:
>>
>> What I found astonishing/interesting about the abacus was you
>> could do math without having to write anything down in the
>> process!!! You could just see it as patterns at a glance!!!
>>
>> Thanks to the Greeks for the invention!!!
>>
>> Andy

> the chinese invented the abacus, you ****ing dope.

Very probably but the Greeks came up with a very ingenious mechanical
astronomical calculator (not computer) that doesn't seem mentioned by
the Chinese. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism

I seem to remember recently reading that progress has been made in
understanding what the thing did and it's amazing!

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not