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Another artifact
In response to our story "Artifact: Relativator," SLAC physicist and director emeritus W.K.H. "Pief" Panofsky provided us with another type of circular slide rule he has had in his desk since the late 1970s (photo). While the Relativator was designed to calculate values useful to Einstein's special theory of relativity, thisNuclear Bomb Effects Computer can be used to calculate the effects of a nuclear bomb as a function of the distance from the explosion or yield of the bomb. Panofsky says he often found the device quick and easy to use even though the same calculations could be performed more precisely with a computer. Images of the reverse side of the device and of the pamphlet that came with the device can be seen by clicking on the links below.
Device Front | Device Back | Device Pamphlet
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