Thai folk and mental arithmetic

[caller]

I've never had any mathematical skills to lose! I'd like to blame it on attending a large South London comprehensive with 1799 other boys and being able to hide at the back of a very large class, where quite sensibly, the teacher gave his attention to those that were interested. But the truth is that it held no interest for me (do slide rules still exist and what exactly were they for?) and still doesn't, nor do the sciences. Left school with a heap of O levels, but took the lower CSE in Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry - and French. That bored me as well, although my schoolboy knowledge has served me well in France!

So maybe not such a recent generational thing?

[eatuae]

I not only used log tables but taught kids how to use them. Before I retired made a fast track group use logs they loved it. That was in 2011

[Gregjam]

Mathematics suffered due to the PC brigade with their SMP maths way back in the seventies and calculators had a huge effect. I learnt to do quick basic maths at the dart board. Chalking a lot until I was good enough to stay on for a few games and playing the game required quick mental arithmetic. The introduction of electronic chalkboards was both good and bad as the game moved on quicker but less brain power was needed. Computers also helped destroy handwriting skills. I seem to be in the minority of fountain pen users and also have to write figures clearly for business reasons.
The Thais are no different to other countries and are perhaps better as the younger kids are taught to write properly and do basic maths (at least until they get their first smartphone).
It must be said though that computers are more reliable as long as they are given the correct information.

[Nereus]

(do slide rules still exist and what exactly were they for?)

For all you youngsters out there: This is a A.W. Faber-Castell precision slide rule. They were considered the Rolls Royce of slide rules. This particular one is a 10" "electro" model, and is over 50 years old. They basically use log tables for calculations, but if you could master it they have a multitude of other functions.

slide rule.jpg (83.09 KiB) Viewed 799 times

[dtaai-maai]

[taffinexile]

I think I must agree it's not only in Thailand. In the UK the easiest way to confuse checkout operators is to give a note larger than required amount plus coins for the amount of pence to make life easy. If you really want to shock them is to add up the cost before they scan the items through and give them the correct amount already in your hand. The look of amazement on some of their faces is to behold. Modern technology has a lot to answer for all over the world.

[VincentD]

Nereus I couldn't afford that slide rule and had to settle for a Japanese brand 'Hemmi'. It's still in the drawer somewhere but I've lost the instructions and don't really remember how to use it any more. More of a nostalgic item.

[STEVE G]

I've noticed that youngsters can quickly pick up mental arithmetic if they have to. Here on the Continent, many bars and cafes still have table service and the staff do all the cashing up out of a large leather wallet, they also have to pay for every order at the bar. If the wallets down at the end of their shift, they have to pay out of their own pockets and they soon get surprisingly good at arithmetic after a week or two.

[Bristolian]

(do slide rules still exist and what exactly were they for?)

For all you youngsters out there: This is a A.W. Faber-Castell precision slide rule. They were considered the Rolls Royce of slide rules. This particular one is a 10" "electro" model, and is over 50 years old. They basically use log tables for calculations, but if you could master it they have a multitude of other functions.

slide rule.jpg

I still own one but have not used it since the 90s when I still found it quicker and more friendly than a scientific calculator. To use one, as you will remember needed mental arithmetic skills also as you needed to know the approximate/sensible range of an answer to enable you to put the decimal point in the correct position.

It's now kept as a memory only. When I bought it, took most of my meagre savings. I actually went to the extent of having my name engraved on it to stop any potential "tea leaf" from perloining it

[sandemb]

A think a Commodore64 was only slightly faster than a slide rule! Now I'm showing my age!!!!!!

[eatuae]

And before that there was the BBC which used magnetic tape didn't do much and was much slower than a slide rule
I remember teaching how to use a slide rule in the classroom using a 6 ft demonstration slide rule on the wall

[Pleng]

I was in a 7 recently and the bill came to something like 328 bt. I could have done with some small notes so I paid with a 1000bt bill. The register came up showing the change due of 672bt and then the register opened. There weren't enough 100bt bills in the register so the attendant look to the next counter and started waving the bill in the face of his colleague to indicate he needed it broken up. Knowing how long this process can take, and not particularly wanting to wait around, I said 'oh mai pen rai' a couple of times as I scurried to get four 100bt bills out of my wallet. The attendant took the bills from me, returned my 1000bt and then stood there confused for a while trying to work out how much change was due. He looked at his calculator for a while then, still bemused, had to check with his supervisor to tell him it was 72bt due back.