Abacus, the oldest gadget on Earth

The abacus is an ancient calculating tool that was widely used in parts of Asia until recent decades. Consisting of a wooden frame and moving beads, it lets you do mathsperform calculations just by flicking your fingers.

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Published: 5:54pm, 2 Oct 2018Updated: 8:08am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

Before the world had electronic calculators, smartphones, the Google search bar, or even paper -- there was the abacus. The simple rectangular gadget doesn’t require batteries, RAM, or the internet to run. Spill your coffee on it? No problem -- it’s also waterproof.

The origin of the abacus can be traced back to the Salamis Tablet, the oldest surviving counting board. Discovered on a Greek island in 1846, it dates back to 300 BC and is thought to have derived from the Babylonian counting board. It consists of a slab of marble with lines on it -- pebbles are moved between them to perform calculations.

The Salamis Tablet: The world's oldest surviving counting board

The question of who invented the abacus in its present form is a matter of debate. Some historians insist it was born in China -- while others say it was brought there by Roman merchants. There are also different variants of the abacus: The Chinese version is called suanpan, and the Japanese one is called soroban.

One thing is clear though: The abacus has thrived for centuries, well into the modern times. In 1946, it won an arithmetic matchup against an electric calculator operated by a US soldier. And as late as the 1990s, abacus literacy was still required for bank recruits in China.

Today, the click-clack sound produced by moving abacus beads can still be heard in classrooms from Tokyo to New York. Some believe it helps children learn mathematics by transforming numbers from an abstract idea to something more concrete. Others suggest the hand movement makes it easier to concentrate. There’s even a digital abacus on Kickstarter.