[fuzzfactor]

I played with manual typewriters and mechanical calculators, back then electronic versions were virtually unheard of.

But I was already intrigued by electronics and figured it would take over in the future. Vacuum tubes were still the only option almost universally. Didn't touch them as a preschooler, high voltage and all that.

With the typewriter, the possibilities were endless, but for the calculator there was only so much you could do to make the right numbers show up in the little squares.

Which led directly to number theory, something that can be learned without being taught.

> There are minimum standards that toddlers do not reach.

I guess there's a grain of truth there, never did get much further ;)