Quote:
Originally Posted by j.p.s
When I was a kid, I read a book written at a time when slide rules were still in widespread use, but computers had been invented (and were huge power hungry monsters).
In the book, a spaceship pilot was doing complex interstellar navigation calculations with a 3 foot diameter circular slide rule.
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Sounds like the astrogation slide rule in Robert A. Heinlein's
Starman Jones though as far as I recall, the actual size was never mentioned. Slide rules were also used in
The Rolling Stones but I don't remember if they were circular slide rules.
Looking back, there were quite a few science fiction stories I recall where they were still using slide rules though in one, the protagonist kept referring to his pocket calculator as a slide rule.