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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1962)
4 B THURSDAY, JUNE 21. 1962 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON Ancient Abacus Scon Will Aid Blind Persons By JOSEPH VARILLA United Press International Frankfort, Ky. -IUPU- The centuries-old abacus may soon be to blind mathematicians what Braille is to blind read ers. The ancient device, long used by Orientals for even the most complex a r i t hmetical computations, has been fitted with a new part by a Ken tucky state official with the result that the blind will be able to use it. T. V. Cranmcr, director of Service to the Blind in the Kentucky department of educ ation, feels his brainchild will permit the blind to do arith metic problems quickly and accurately. He said most blind persons now cither ask someone to work their problems or use mental arithmetic. For Cran mer, who is blind himself, neither of the method was ac ceptable. Cranmcr first became in terested in the abacus when he visited the Japanese sec tion of Los Angc'cs and listen ed to the rapidity with which shop girls were running their fingers across the beads on the device and coming up with accurate answers. A friend told him what it looked like: 13 wires with five beads on each wire. When he got back here, Cranmer did some research on the abacus. Hp found the .Ian. nncse had tried at leart twice to adapt the d ice for the blind. But neither attempt was successful because the beads slipped out of place easily and the blind didn't notice them. To solve that problem, Cranmer fitted the back of the abacus with a piece of fell. And the beads stayed in place. The only other method of computation for the blind used to any extent in this country utilized Braille and required five or 10 minutes to solve the simplest problem. As the problems got tougher, the task became all but im- possible. Cranmer is planning a pilot study with about 50 persons to determine if the blind can adapt to the device, which has been named "Cranmers Com. pul or." The volunleers for the pro gram will be tested on their present knowledge of arith metic and permitted to use en.v method of calculation. Then they will be given a Cranmcr computer and an In struction manual in Braille. After aim receiving some per sonal instruction, they will he given the test over and will use the computer. If the results are what Cranmer hopes they will be, he wants to put the' computer in Ihe hands of every blind Kentuckinn. The devices are being manufactured by the American Printing House for the Blind of Louisville, a non profit organization. The com puters could be man pro duced wilhin about a year. He estimates that the cost of the pocket-sized calculator being used for the pilot tests will be hetween $1.5(1 and $3. Balkan Peninsula Is Powder Keg of Wars Washington - lUPli -The Balkan Peninsula in south eastern Europe is notorious as a powder keg of wars. For centuries various armies have niarrhcd up and down Its vast reaches, dividing and con quering. The Balkan, including Yugoslavia and Albania, to day is the fncal point of ever dividing opinion within the once - monolithic communist sphere. From the name Bal kan comes the verb "balkan ie." which means to break up into small weak and often conflicting units, the National Geographic society reports. Short Pants Mode In Gordonstoun Scioof London -il'Pli Prince Charles Is strictly a short punts boy at Gordonsloun school. As a student at the school, known I o r ils Spartan dis cipline, he will wear the of ficial shorls. sweater over open-neck shirt, knee-length grey socks and black shoes. Long trousers and neckties are taboo at Gordonstoun for the 13-ycar-nld prince and other students. 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