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Empire of the Sum

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About this episode

<p>Keeping track of numbers has always been part of what makes us human. So at some point along the way, we created a tool to help us keep count, and then we gave that tool a name. We called it: a calculator. But depending on what era you were born in, and maybe even what country, what constituted a 'calculator' varied widely.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Keith-Houston/author/B00CCS4UQ">Keith Houston</a> wrote about the evolution of the calculator in his latest book, <a href="https://amzn.to/48cG1EY"><i>Empire of the Sum The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator</i></a>. It is exactly the kind of nerdery we like to get up to here at 99% Invisible -- history explained through the lens of an everyday designed object.</p><p><a href="https://99percentinvisible.org/?p=41533&post_type=episode">Empire of the Sum</a></p> <p><p>Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.&nbsp;<br><br>Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting <a href="http://siriusxm.com/podcastsplus." target="_blank">siriusxm.com/podcastsplus</a>.&nbsp;</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>