1642 Mechanical Calculators__THE PASCALINE

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was born in Claremont, France and became one of hte leading mathematicians, scientists, and theologian of this time. He was one of the inventors of the Barometer (and used it to prove that air has weight), the syringe and the hydraulic press. In 1639 his father Etienne Pascal, took a position with woth the tax services and used Blaise who was only sixteen at the time, to perform many of this new position. Blaise conceived an idea for a calculator that would reduce the dradgery of the calc;ulations. Over the next decade he perfected the Pascaline a polished brass box containing a sophisticated calculting mechanism made up of gears. On the Pascaline, the digits from 0 to 9 were arranged on wheels. When one was turned in a complete revolution, it moved the adjoining wheel one digit, much like the odometer in an automobile. Numbers could be added and subracted as they were entered and the current total was always displayed in the upper window. Buyers didn't exactly rush to his door though; many felt the simple machine was too complicated (sound familiar?)

PASCALINE CALCULATOR