Computing Through the Ages: From Bones to Binary
Computing Through the Ages: From Bones to Binary
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Twenty First Century Books
Just the Series: Technology Through the Ages   

Series and Publisher: Technology Through the Ages   

Annotation: The discovery both of [geometry] and of the other sciences proceeded from utility.Proclus Lycius, Greek philosopher, f... more
Genre: [Mathematics]
 
Reviews: 1
Catalog Number: #376396
Format: Library Binding
Common Core/STEAM: STEAM STEAM
Copyright Date: 2024
Edition Date: 2024 Release Date: 01/01/24
Pages: 80 pages
ISBN 13: 979-87-656-1004-6
Dewey: 510.9
LCCN: 2023011192
Dimensions: 24 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

A history of mathematics and measuring devices from prehistory to early-modern times.Offering a revised text and an overall redesign, if little new material, this refurbished version of Ancient Computing Technology (2011) presents descriptions (textual ones, at least; not all are actually illustrated) of ancient numbering systems and mathematical techniques worldwide up to binary code. The book also includes tools ranging from tally sticks and beam scales to calendars and mechanical calculators, such as the Antikythera mechanism. Ada Lovelace and Alan Turing get nods, but the development of modern electronic computing is packed into the final two paragraphs, with nary a mention of AI or quantum computing, and the appended timeline ends at 2005. Many of the pictures, while attractive, are at best tangentially relevant to the passages they accompany, but a few images of historical artifacts and reconstructed devices are included. A list of more recent "further reading" has been tacked on to the out-of-date bibliography, which is dominated by works from the 1970s and 1980s; the most recent source in the selected bibliography is a 2010 paper on Mayan mathematics.Strictly for report writers and school libraries where the original is worn out. (glossary, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 11-18)

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Kirkus Reviews (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Bibliography Index/Note: Includes bibliographical references (pages 74-77) and index.
Reading Level: 6.0
Interest Level: 7-12
Reading Counts!: reading level:3.7 / points:2.0 / quiz:Q00588
Lexile: NP

The discovery both of [geometry] and of the other sciences proceeded from utility.Proclus Lycius, Greek philosopher, fifth century CE

Geometry is the knowledge of the eternally existent.Plato, Republic, ca. 380 BCE

Ancient peoples around the world navigated the seas, built wonders of engineering, and measured time with amazing precision. How were they able to do all of this without calculators or digital computers? One technology made it all possible: computing.

The earliest evidence of counting is tally sticks from around 35000 BCE. Since then, societies worldwide developed complex mathematics to achieve difficult feats of calculation and engineering. Math fields like arithmetic, algebra, and geometry were used for surveying land, measuring the weight of gold, and even building the pyramids. Some ancient creationssuch as the mysterious Antikythera deviceare so complex archeologists are still fascinated by them.

From base-10 to the abacus, learn about the ancient computation methods that formed the basis for smartphones and digital computers.


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