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.
'A
JUST ONE OF
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