The Abacus Played A Critical Role In Developing China's First Nuclear Submarines

Chinese sailors on top of a submarine during the fleet's review of the China-Russia joint naval exercise in the Yellow Sea April 26, 2012. REUTERS/China Daily

South China Morning Post: Scientists used abacuses to develop China’s first nuclear submarine

Sound of beads rattling on bamboo frames could be heard from dusk till dawn, says retired project chief

China’s first nuclear submarine was developed with the aid of an abacus, according to the scientist who led the project in the late 1950s.

Now 93, Huang Xuhua, chief designer of the Long March-1, said he still owns one of the suanpan [abacuses] that were used by his team almost 60 years ago, Chutian Metropolis Daily reported on Monday.

“Lots of critical data used in the development of the nuclear submarine jumped out from this suanpan,” he was quoted as saying.

Often referred to as the “Father of China’s nuclear subs”, Huang worked for China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, which had several abacus calculation teams divided into specialist sections, he said.
Scientists “attacked the beads [on their abacuses] until every section reached the same result”, he said, adding that the constant clattering was enough to make entire buildings “rattle from dawn until dusk”.

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WNU Editor: I like the story about slide rules being used in the early years for both the U.S. and Russian space programs .... The Slide Rule: A Computing Device That Put A Man On The Moon (NPR).