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Question: What is a retro encabulator?

Answer: A retro encabulator is a hypothetical device that would be able to convert a stream of photons into a stream of electrons. The term was coined by the science fiction author Larry Niven in his 1973 novel Ringworld.

Question: Wikipedia article on retro encabulator

Retro encabulator (also retro-encabulator) is a type of mechanical calculator invented by the Italian engineer Luigi Colani in the 1960s.

Retro-encabulator with its cover openThe retro-encabulator uses a rotating crank handle to set the multiplier. The multiplicand is set by rotating a dial with a small pointer on it. The pointer is read off from a scale around the dial. The result is read off from a second scale around the dial.



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