We've previously profiled Israel Abraham Staffel, the 19th century Polish Jewish inventor whose mechanical calculator could do the four basic functions (plus square roots!). And here we have Abraham Stern, the 19th century Polish Jewish inventor whose mechanical calculator could do the four basic functions (plus square roots!). What is going on?!?!?!

Was 19th century Poland simply a hotbed for Jewish mechanical calculators? Did Staffel and Stern have an ongoing rivalry, trying to better each other's work? Damn that Stern, his square roots go two decimal points deeper than mine! Oh that Staffel, his machine has fewer cranks that you need to turn! Was there spying? Sabotage?

Probably not. Stern came a few decades before Staffel; it seems that the two might have even been related. So Stern's calculators came first, and Staffel improved upon them.

So, yes, 19th century Poland was a hotbed for Jewish mechanical calculators. And, if you want to take it further, the birthplace of modern computing!