Futility Closet

Thanks Anyway

Posted in Science & Math,Society by Greg Ross on November 10th, 2009

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anton_Felkel.gif

In 1776, Viennese schoolmaster Antonio Felkel factored every number up to 408,000. Few people bought the book, though, so the treasury recalled it and used the paper to make ammunition cartridges.

University of Prague professor J.P. Kulik spent 20 years extending the work to 100,000,000. He published it in six volumes in 1867.

Volume 2 has been lost.