Computation (Jul, 1953)
Why don’t people put math poetry in ads anymore? Also, wasn’t Zero invented in India?
Computation
The Arab
who first wrote zeroAnd
the mathematic clueTo
nothing at all is a heroWho
never got his dueUnless
he soughtTo share
the eternal naught.
— from “Stars and Atoms HAVE NO SIZE” -by A. M. Sullivan
(by permission)Maxson offers top-caliber engineers exceptional opportunities
MAXSON ENGINEERING specializes in the development and manufacture of computers for precise determination of complex problems. Our 18 years experience in navigation, ordnance, and electronics is implemented by 600 engineering personnel, 2500 other employees, and 400,000 feet of laboratory and plant space.
This adaptable organization is available to augment your facilities; for details, see the new Maxson Facilities Report.
The W. L. MAXSON CORPORATION Unimax Switch Division •
Langevin Manufacturing Corporation
460 West 34th Street New York 1, New York
Plants at Long Island City, N.J. and Old Forge, Pennsylvania
Related posts:
- ERA Computation Center (Feb, 1953)
- wanted: sales engineers to sell electronic computers (May, 1954)
- Associates… and your growth as an engineer (Mar, 1956)
- Ad: new digital magnetic tape transport (Jan, 1956)
- Engineering hours turn into minutes when you speed up your data analysis (Sep, 1952)
“MAXSON ENGINEERING specializes in the development and manufacture of computers for precise determination of complex problems…”
…many of which were intimately involved with getting this handy-dandy keg of high explosive here into the vicinity of that Russian vehicle over there. They were involved with the production of the AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-ground missile, for instance, and I think other subcontracting for Lockheed Martin and other big names in the killin’-people business.
I don’t know whether they were already doing this sort of stuff in 1953, though. If they were actually on the cutting edge of computation at that time, though, then I can only presume that wheelbarrows of government cash were at least catching their eye.
Yep, they made for example Corvus missiles guidance system, radar mapping, gyroscopes, analog computers etc. at that time. But not Strato-Plates or Sky-Plates.
There once was a student at Trinity,
Who computed the square of infinity,
But it gave him the fidgets,
To count up the digits,
So he dropped math and took up divinity.
I thought the Zero was invented in Japan (he said, ducking.)
BTW, in 1953 those weren’t necessarily DIGITAL computers. Lots of analog stuff in aerospace into the 1960s.
The Babylonians had a place holder for zero as far back as 1700 BC.
The use of Zero similar to how we use it now goes back to the Hindus in the late 9th century.
Other uses and histories I know naught!
recardless of who “invented” teh zero, there must have been some first time for an arab
. (also maybe it originated at more places?)
There is a reason our system is called the Hindu-Arabic number system. Aryabhata, an Indian astronomer, is credited with the invention of the zero. At least in the number system we use. The Mayans also independently discover the zero.
Computer used to be a job category about a decade before this ad. They employed lots and lots of women to do the work of making ballistics tables and working out the answers for engineers. “Electronic Brains” put a lot of clerical people out of work.