Illustrated Self-Guided Course on How to Use the Slide Rule (2012)

Shameless plug: I used a "slide rule" style UI for the Ohm's Law calculator on Perfboard (iOS app).

More specifically, I allow the user to slide logarithmically marked rules for two of the variables (and the calculator finds the third). Besides mapping well to Ohm's law and the way resistors are used in hobbyist electronics, I thought it was a fun way to explore various values for resistors, voltages, etc. More interactive than the "enter in two values get a third" text-field approach (although you can do that too if you want more precision).

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/perfboard/id465951871?mt=8

I learned from "An Easy Introduction to the Slide Rule" by Isaac Asimov.

I'm somewhat disappointed there is no content on the Nuclear Weapons Effects Calculator, a specialized circular slide rule included in a book of the same name. There is extensive documentation about it, and while a collectors item, can still be found on eBay or Abe books occasionally. A nice simulation of it, and templates for anyone willing to make their own, are available at [1].

[1] https://www.fourmilab.ch/bombcalc/

I was watching season 2 of “The Wire” (never saw it before) and a detective was consulting with a representative of the Maryland Bureau of Mines, who subtly whipped out a slide rule to produce some result. What was nice was that it wasn’t “look whose got a slide rule!” As much as “hey, he figured that out quickly!”

This reminds me of "Have Space Suit—Will Travel" Science-fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, where the hero make frequent uses of his slide rule to save himself from dangerous situations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_Space_Suit%E2%80%94Will_T...

I still have my father's slide rule. It was in storage for quite some time and I re-discovered it during house cleaning. It still works.

Here's my post on Google+ about it [1]

[1] https://plus.google.com/+KamYungSoh/posts/6Fsv7mH7yf3

Is anyone still making reasonable slide rules? A few years ago Think Geek offered a slide rule, and I bought a couple, but they are nowhere near as smooth as the slide rules I had in the '70s.

I find it interesting that the pocket calculator quickly killed the slide rule, but did not kill the abacus.

E6-B slide rule was still standard method for private pilots when I was flying, 15 years ago.

Simple, effective, reliable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E6B

Damn. Office has ruined me. I started reading thinking this was (a somewhat funny) post about the single important (presentation) slide rule.

This was cool as well though. Learned something more valuable today.

My first class in Navy Nuclear School in 1975 was slide rule use.