Show and Tell: The Curta Calculator
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- Sean Charlesworth joins us in the Tested office this week to share one of his prized possessions: a Curta mechanical calculator. Designed in the 1940s before electronic calculators, this hand-cranked device was considered the the most precise pocket calculator available, and was used by rally car drivers and aviators.
Learn more about the Curta Calculator here:
curta.li/
en.wikipedia.or...
when my father passed on I got his. as a kid it always amazed me how it worked, and how silky it felt when you use it. he was a civil engineer / land surveyor and would use it out in the field before electronics. he always kept it double boxed so it's still perfect. it's a type ii. I love having it, but I wish it was still his. 1935-2017.
It's so old, but looks so modern.
+Jose Martinez Good mechanical design is timeless. Despite many mechanical devices being replaced by electronics (with the exception of guns and certain machinery that will always require mechanical principles) The same rules of aesthetics and 'form follows function' rules applied back then as they do now. In fact modern designers are usually fans of antique design, and it influences their work.
+Myanameis Beestingz he meant the aesthetic
***** So did I. Mechanical devices have an aesthetic that is usually dictated by the purpose of the device. A tool usually has a utilitarian aesthetic that is minimalistic and is often equated with 'modern' design.
Myanameis Beestingz Yeah I know what you mean but the way it is designed doesn't look like a typewrite that was designed in the same are it looks like a pocket tool that would be designed right now.
That's because type writers were designed aesthetically. having a very specific style that has no equivelent today.
when talking about tools though. when designed very utilitarian style like the curta calculator, it's aesthetic comes from it's use as a tool. hence why a Hammer with the forked hook for pulling nails will look the same now as it did back when it was first invented. many ball peen hammers before that also look exactly like they do now. minus how many tools now use rubberized handles. But yes. the Curta calculator came out at a time where when making a tool with completely utilitarian design, it will look very modern as a result. Especially after being cleaned up and polished to look new again.
When I started work in a finance company back in 1967, that is before the invention of the calculator, the Curta was what we used. I used it for around three years. It was very easy to use after a bit of practice . I held the machine in the left hand using the thumb to set the numbers down the side and to lift the top when moving from the 10s to the hundreds, and the right hand was used for turning the handle and for clearing the numbers between calculations. Whilst a little slower than today's calculators, it was a lot quicker than using pen and paper.
wow
@Derp Inshmurtz Both the Curta and the modern day calculator are only as fast as the people who use them. Someone who is really adept at using the Curta versus somebody who is a bit slow and clumsy with a calculator, I reckon would be a close run thing.
@@CamcorderSteve For office work, won't the tabletop mechanical calculator be faster to use? I have both a curta ii as well as a big mechanical calculator (like typewriter). It's always a pleasure to play with them, and I remain fascinated by human ingenuity 😊
@@infinityNmore I have never used a 'big mechanical calculator' Damien, so I am not the best person to ask, but I think you are probably right in your assumption.
Nice video. 👍 I stumbled upon my Curta 1 at a household goods auction. It was at the bottom of a box of mixed broken cheap camera flashes and cheap film cameras. The Curta device looked familiar, but I did not remember why. . . . The mixed box of goods was on last table to be auctioned, so I had time time to run home to educate myself on the internets. Returned to the auction, stayed quiet, acted uninterested. Finally, only a handful of people remained as auction neared its end. . . Finally, the time. The box of mixed goods was bringing no bids, so the auctioneer dropped it to $1. I bid, and bought my Curta 1 ( in its protective hard case) for $1. Next day, I sold one of the novelty cameras for $5. Win-Win.
Well look at that! A regular conversation and interview without bearded dude talking over everyone! Amazing!
^this
Why does everyone hate Jamie?
I like Will! If you're saying he talks over Norm, then I disagree. I think Norm is just one of those guys who goes secondary when a conversation is happening. I used to be that way too.
I watch all of the videos except Mystery Builds. Will seems fine. Maybe you just don't like him.
***** Regardless of your opinion on the matter, the interviews are informative and the interviewees have yet to say anything that supports your claim. He has a job, he does it, the guests are fine with it.
Just managed to snag a type 2 and am so happy to hold this marvel of engineering in my hands. Its far heavier than I expected and like mentioned in the video it's so satisfying to feel and hear. Impressive that one guy could design this without the use of computers.
My dad is into collecting mechanical calculators and a few years ago he finally bought a Curta 1 and 2. They're absolutely awesome in how small they are compared to 'desktop models'.
I like Sean. he would be a great addition
He's definitely a great asset for the team and showing some cool characteristics.
I love that T-shirt man !
Very Cool, it looks like a maths grenade.
2+2=boom
LOL! That's hilarious. And that's exactly what it is!
Brilliant!
Wow, he wasn't kidding about how expensive they are o.O
An average of 2,000 us dollara
Lovely piece of mechanical engineering. I'm afraid we'll never see something in the same class developed ever again. Electronics can do the job better, faster, cheaper, but it's just not the same... If they weren't so ridiculously expensive I'd certainly buy one.
I have a 1940's typewriter, I just love the hefty quality of the machine. It will certainly outlive me. A whole different class than the plastic throw-away planned-obsolescence shit we're surrounding us with now.
China could make this real cheap if there was enough demand for it. The Chinese made quality mechanical watches including tourbion for a mere fraction of the cost of Swiss equivalent making mechanical watches relatively affordable. The same could be done with curta calculator.
***** Well the genius (ie. european) behind such innovations might have gotten rich from such a pricey product but it is priced out of the reach of common folks. Plus, lets look at the world economy, shall we? Many of the european countries have a slow to almost dead economy. Also the problem with german folks is that they dont like to focus on mass production to make a product successful in the long run. Rather the germans like to run boutique style operations focusing on the wealthy buyer. Examples include leica, schneider optics, zeiss optics (owned by sony now go figure), heinkel (knife company). While on the other hand, chinese are practically building and assembling the products which are then sold by the Europeans, americans, etc. The chinese are on their way to becoming the sole economic super power.
Finally, I would like to add that pure democracy and well treatment of citizens only leads to increased on state depts and short term stable economies. For long term economic and social stability a country needs to be strict and firm in its decision making process. Besides, I am all for cheap High Quality products over expensive ones any day. And there are many people who see things my way and china is trying to cater to people like me.
hey man if mechanical is your thing, look into grandfather clocks and planetary gearsets. the engineering lives on!
While China is focused on physical manufacturing the US is leading the world in software and intellectual innovation which needs freedom to exist and prevail. If your entire population is raised to conform then they'll never have "out of the box" ideas.
You sur are so right!
Norm did a tour of Adam's office in early 2013 and saw two Curta calculators on his shelf. This video was made in late 2014 and Norm says he has never seen a Curta in real life...
+RedstonePlethora I picked up on that also.
My dad, who is 79, has one of these. It has no markings except for the numbers. We never knew what it was called or how it worked. We called it the paperweight calculator lol. Cool video!
This is the influence of alien technology😶
chris --- my dad to. unfortunately, I inherited his. gone at 82. I wish he could have kept it. I loved playing with it as a kid. i'll have to re-learn how it's used.
Great to see the Curta in action again. It's a magnificent machine, I used to use one in the late 60's, there was nothing else like it that wasn't the size of a type writer. When you used it every day you could build up quite a speed, much quicker that 'log tables' and much more accurate than a 'slide rule'.
+Ianw Stokes What kind of work were you doing?
So what happens if I divide by zero on this thing?
+Fwind V It Explodes
+MechroGaige Monchak LOL, well... it does look like a hand granade with a crank xD (In a positive way ^_^)
xD ikr
+Fwind V Nothing. Division on this thing is basically continuous subtraction, and you can subtract zero all you want with no results.
+Fwind V Its CPU throws a division by zero exception.
That is super interesting, just from the sound it makes you can imagine how many parts are inside of it.
When I joined the SCCA in the early 60's, all the well-heeled rallyers had one of these. I was never convinced they knew how to use the Curtas but they were eye candy for the competitors to display. I could never afford one. (SCCA = Sports Car Club of America)
Hey guys, you really need to bring Sean more often. It's great to listen to people with a passion.
1:35 Really Norm? You don't remember Adam showing you one of these things at his office?
Woah are you kidding me? That's just amazing and I would absolutely love owning one of these. But sadly they cost about 900€ - 1.500€ on the German eBay..
That's crazy, although even at that price it is still very tempting!
TheWargod56 I know, right? Somehow I haven't banned it from my memory for being too expensive.. I think I'd probably buy one if I didn't need the money for something else right now.
*****
That would be about 750€ or so.. That's indeed seriously tempting! I'd probably go for it at this point..
+lifehacker123 That's why I hate when popular outlets report on this device. The prices just keep going up. When I first read about them in 1999-2000, they were going for 400-700 depending on which type and serial numbers. I should have bought one then.
I own one of these. Still boxed, with instructions and in near mint condition. Was given to me by my grandfather in the 1990s. It's hard to describe how satisfying this thing sounds when in motion. The sounds of hundreds of tiny little cogs turning, and it's so smooth. The history of the machine and its origin makes it even more of a marvel. They are pricey, but if you're into mechanical machines, you won't regret picking one up.
When I graduated from school in 1957 I worked on a survey party setting up the future Freeway alignment for Interstate 80 over Donner Summit. We used the Curta calculator for Sin., Cosine and Tan. function calculations during that survey operation. This calculator was invaluable in its use and continued for years before being replaced by a HP 35 electronic calculator I wish that I still had one.
What a genius he had to be to come up with this device. Amazing!
Mechanical engineering at it's finest.
Seriously... What a fantastic piece of mechanical madness. All made without computers or advanced cnc machinery. Even for 2014 it's amazing. At least to me.
Even when you imagine that the tools you needed to manufacture this device, could not be bought in a store.
ok so norm says hes never seen one before....but adam shows him a few while doing his office tour and im pretty sure that video was before this one
My dad had one, but he got rid of it when calculators and computers got affordable - I wish he’d hung onto it because it was so unique and felt so good to operate.
I've always seen these things pop up over the years but never remembered to look up how the worked. This was neat, thank you!
Watching this in 2022 after watching the ct scan…..mental!
The only calculator who will work after an apocalypses, includes Judgment Day, Skynet rise, an electro magnetic pulse attack by aliens, the singularity, you name it. Any prepper should have one of these. I have one for sale. Any interested?
or, you know, use paper and a pencil.
-MACGRUBER!!! The aliens are atacking us. They are aiming at us at 3 miles. Quick!! give me the angle to raise the cannon and shoot to them. They are aiming their cannon to shoot us too. They will be ready in....20 seconds!!!
-Ok, everybody keep it together. I will calculate the right angle to raise our cannon and the projectile will "terminate" them. Quick, toss me a pencil!!
-You got it, Mac Daddy!!!
-Now hand me a paper!!.
-Here it goes BigMac!!!
-Ok, now I must calculate a parabolic trayectory at 800 M/s of Muzzle velocity. I need to multiply here....
-15 seconds!!
-2463 elevated to square divided by 9,81 m/s....
-10 seconds!!
-Now I add one, and multiply by 752.
-5 seconds!!
-Ok...and the result is...Damn it! I need another paper.
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡BOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!
how much you want for it
There are other mechanical calculators, this one is just the coolest
At first I thought this was going to be really boring, but it was actually fascinating.
That is friggin insane. The sheer mechanics of a device to do that without electronic parts is mind boggling.
+TheRealAnarchrox The design is complicated, to be sure, but only as complicated as strictly necessary. Curt H. was a flippin mechanical genius of the highest order, and he devised an incredibly clever method (called nines compliment) of calculation to keep the size of the device small (as compared to other devices of the time). Look at some of the 3D animations online about it. It's complex, but not incomprehensibly so, the way say, microchip design has become.
As everything goes more and more digital, things like this seem even more fascinating and complex.
Programming languages have all the mathematical functions built in, so doing anything math related is super simple these day. Of course if you were to dig deep into the origin of programming and computer science its way more complicated, but I just cant even imagine how someone managed to invent and machine something like this.
what a nice explanation of how this wonderful machine works❤❤
Pretty cool device, and Sean is cool too. He needs his own segments.
Years later, I am still curious in buying this as part of a set of especially durable mechanical stuff items like mechanical pocket watches.
What an awesome piece of mechanical micro-engineering!!!
Wanted one of these for years now.
The Curta has to be one of my all time favorite mechanical creations. Much like Babbage's Difference Engine. However I think the Curta is more practical to own.
Wow, cool item. I saw one of these once, I think on Pawn Stars, where they just gave a tiny overview of its history, but didn't show it in action. Thanks for the far more complete demo. I love stuff like this.
Literally crunching numbers
Where did you think the term 'number crunch' came from?
people really loudly eating Doritos while they do mathematics
Curta is also digital. It gives exact answers. A slide rule is an analog calculator.
What nobody has said here is the reason for its appeal: The alternative was a slide rule, which you have to kind of visually guess at as you go deeper in significant figures.
The Curta is able to give you eight to eleven actual numbers, no guessing, no kidding.
Every number cruncher should have one of these in a tiny glass cabinet on the wall, marked IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.
The Curta calculator plays an important part in William Gibson's novel, "Pattern Recognition", set in "the present," 2003.
Sean is literally a Tested producer's wet dream. What an awesome guy to appear on the channel. He knows his shit.
my kind of gadget...would love to see one of these assembled from scratch as a future Tested project
I had a choice in 1972 a Curta for $180 or a electronic calculator for the same price that could only add subtract multiply and divide and needed power. As a surveyor working in bush camps there was only one choice. My Curta still works perfectly and it is very satisfying to multiply two 8 digit numbers. It has been to the high Artic islands and worked at - 40C. However my fingers suffered.
The Curta model two has a greater digit capacity. According to the manual, model one's capacity is 8x6x11 digits and model two has 11x8x15 digits. I have never used one so I don't really know what digits it is referring to. Back in the day, I used slide rules but not the Curta. The only time I saw it used in person was by surveyors I was working with.
I wonder If it would be harder to build one of those, or write a program to make a calculator?
Records and record players always amazed me. All the individual instruments in an orchestra can be heard. Each specific instrument's sound came a needle sliding in a groove on a piece of plastic.
I heard about these when I was a kid, do to my foster dad being a CPA for Massey-Ferguson tractors. And my dad, who was in the air force as a photo interpreter. Slide Rules ruled mainly, but to be able to use a Curta or own one was tops.
absolutely, brilliant gosh a mechanical calculator AND NO BATTERIES . I will be looking this up my self. :)
I have a Brunsviga calculator (Nova Brunsviga model 130204 or similar, from I think the 1920s or earlier) which looks like this sort of tech, but about the size of a typewriter. Massive, weighty, complicated, I never learned how it worked. But damn does it look cool and satisfying.
Anyone who enjoyed this should look up the fire control computer from Iowa-class battleships. Incredible mechanical engineering.
That thing looks beautiful...
Being an Enginerd myself, who just missed the slide rule era when I was in Electrical Engineering classes back in the late 1970s (I had a Ti-55); I learned of these Curta mechanical (analog?) calculators only recently. One look and I was smitten and on a mission to get my paws on one. Which to get? The cute little black pepper grinder Type-1, or the more rotund but more capable Type-2 with more plastic? Both about the same price, from: $900-$2000 depending upon serial number, condition and case and accessories. Well, small and cute and all black like a Star Wars Imperial astromech droid Type-1 caught my heart and eye more than the later and advanced Type-2. So much for logical Spock, eh? So I ended up getting the Type-1 in VGC for $1000 after negotiating it down from $1500. A bargain and collectible unit, but still quite pricey today as it was back in 1951 when this one was made. At $125 in 1951, that’s $1232 today in 2018 adjusted for inflation, or about 10x increase over 67 years. As you can see, they were affordable only to professionals, companies and schools at a price like that. Anyways, I don’t regret a functional collectible that fits my personality and is tracking nicely in value over time.
First saw this way back in the Last Whole Earth Catalog. Was the best you could get at the time.
He paid $125 for his Curta Calculator and now that this episode of Tested has aired they go for between $750 and $2000 dollars. Based on how many are available that's absolutely ridiculous. They can hardly be considered rare.
+BAZYRKYRS BUNKER It's not just Tested, Numberphile also did a video on it. Maybe not as well known a channel, but it's audience is mostly math geeks who'd be more willing to shell out the bucks for a Curta. I admit it has a certain attraction to it but I'd rather have an HP-42s in mint condition, not like that will ever happen.
+RMoribayashi I'm sure they made more HP-42ses than the Curtas. You should be able to find one if you really keep looking.
Myanameis Beestingz Like Curtas they come up on ebay occasionally. They are rarer than most HP calculators though and you have to be careful, the early model is prone to dust under the display.
+BAZYRKYRS BUNKER Just got mine for $65 with shipping, same as him, it was very dirty but once cleaned it's perfect. It really was a steal, it's a 1949 model.
ultort Whoa? Where did you find one that cheap? Amazing.
I used to have one of those. I found it in the trash when I was 12. the handle was missing so I used a paperclip to turn it. I ended up trading it for a bike part. it was kind heavy and very mechanical. You could tell it was like a watch on the inside
I’ve Been wanting one of these for 20 years. One day I’m going to find one and afford to purchase it
"I'm gonna cheat and pull out my DIGITAL calculator ..."
The Curta, also, is a digital calculator. The Antikythera mechanism, slide rules and other nomographs are mechanical analog calculators - as are for example ball-and-disk integrators and the Norden bombsight. The Electronic Associates model PACE 16-24D was an all-electronic analog computer (ca. 1953): www.cowardstereoview.com/analog/eai1624d.jpg
There's something about these small analog gadgets that make them so fascinating to us people living in the digital age. Maybe it's the intriguing clicking sound...
the whole mechanism of the universe
is in that little container
万マ宮彁 the Curta isn't analog, it's entirely digital. It just happens that those digits are stored as a position of a rod and actuated by cams.
I once had a similar discussion after one of my colleagues saw me with a paper (as opposed to electronic) book, he asked me if I had returned to analog books.
Milamberinx Yes, you're right. It seems that I've confused the term "analog" with "non-electronic". The term "digital", being used in place of "electronic devices" so often nowadays, has made me believe that anything that doesn't work on battery and circuits is "analog". You've made a good point.
Wow never seen or even heard of such a thing!
The Curta Calculator is my Holy Grail. I will own one before I die.
Chuckling at you two over your amazement that something mechanical could do this... :-)
Reminds me of fictional clockwork machines.
On ebay I seen them around 1000 dollars
Adam has this in his office video!
adam has a few curta calculators in his office, i remember norm seeing them there
Aaaaannnd…. The links to the Octopod, etc. are not in the description, as you stated.
Never seen them in person even though you saw them at Adam's home office tour?
That is such a beautiful device. Valued over $125 now though.
That thing is now about 2000 dollar in good condition. That is about the same as 125 dollar was back then.
Why does Norm say that he has never seen them in person? Adam showed him several when they did the video about Adams home office.
"Something I've heard about, but never seen in person." Didn't Adam show Norm both versions of this last year?
I've got one of these, but the ring on the clearing lever has been snapped for longer than I've been alive.
would love to see a modern PC ,made completely mechanical, or eve just mechanically powered to see if its possible to power one by winding.
That thing is beautiful.
That was AWESOME!
Invented in a death camp by a genius. It's humbling.
How similar are the inner workings of the Curta and the Clock of the Long Now?
I love these things. Would it be remotely possible to make one with a 3D printer?
doesn't Adam have some of those things in his office, sitting on a shelf?
this is on my list of things to look for at flea markets, garage sales, and thrift stores. I did find one at a flea market once but the seller knew what he had (wanted about $700 for it).
Sean is a perfect fit for Adam's intern. Mr' Savage has two of those pepper grinders in his office.
Really neat, and I so love old school tech, but I'm so glad we don't have to use calculators like this anymore lol!
The inventor of the Curta Calculator wasn't interred in the Buchenwald concentration camp as Mr. R2 Unit says, but he was interned there. Interred implies that he was buried there.
Sean is awesome.
Fascinating, but why are they so expensive?
Thanks you for sharing this.
40 years later...
So here we have the TI-84...
I was suspicious when he says "i do not use this every day" then when he shows us clearly how to 'open this safe' i nodded in complete agreement. Awesome device but i have great respect for all of those who had to use one! Peace
that thing is AWESOME
Considering this is mechanical, what happens if you attempt to divide by zero?
It only adds and subtracts; multiplication is by repeated addition. Division is done by repeatedly adding the divisor and counting (the machine keeps track of the count) how many additions are required to reach the dividend. With a divisor of zero repeatedly adding that will never increase the total, so the dividend will never be reached - this is a physical representation of the correct result, which is that an infinite number of repetitions would be required (anything divided by zero is infinity).
What's art in the background of a planet shown from within a window?
Presently this calculator starts from $1000 to several thousand, depending on model.
wow. that thing is so cool, I wonder if there are any in my local area...
Cool, I only knew about these because they featured in a William Gibson novel :)
Dude! If you ever want to make some quick cash, sell that thing in Europe! I live in Scotland and just looked them up. Over here they are going for anywhere between £400 and £2500 sterling! Amazing piece of machinery, as an engineer I absolutely love this kind of stuff!
I want one! But only so I can take it apart and figure out how it works.
I want to make a container like the blue one in the beginning of the video. except I want to make one out of wood. any place you think I can find the dimensions and or make just pictures of the pieces themselves? I have a general idea on how to do it but still could use some info! TIA
I have one and need to take it out of its metal case. Can you help me?
I bet airport security thinks it's a grenade