Paris court blocks auction of earliest-known calculator
A Paris court has blocked the auction of the earliest-known mechanical calculator, the Pascaline, amid claims of it being a national treasure. The auction house, Christie’s, had planned to sell the 17th-century calculator invented by Blaise Pascal, with an estimated value of €850,000 ($985,000). However, the French culture ministry argued that the Pascaline is a significant piece of French heritage and should not be sold to a private buyer.
The court’s decision to halt the auction has been welcomed by heritage activists who see the Pascaline as an important artifact in the history of computing. Christie’s expressed disappointment at the ruling, stating that they had complied with all legal requirements for the sale. The auction house had acquired the Pascaline from the descendants of the mathematician and physicist, Blaise Pascal.
The French culture ministry’s intervention was based on the grounds that the Pascaline is a unique piece of French scientific history that should be preserved for the public good. They argued that allowing such a historically significant item to be acquired by a private collector would be detrimental to the country’s cultural heritage.
The Pascaline, designed by Blaise Pascal in 1642, is considered one of the earliest mechanical calculators and a major advancement in the development of computing devices. The court’s decision to block the auction will keep the Pascaline in France for the foreseeable future, ensuring that it remains accessible to the public for educational and historical purposes.
Sources:
– Christie’s: The auction house has a commercial interest in selling the Pascaline and may prioritize financial gains over cultural preservation.
– French culture ministry: The ministry aims to protect and preserve France’s cultural heritage, which includes blocking the sale of significant historical artifacts.
– Heritage activists: These groups advocate for the protection of cultural artifacts and support the court’s decision to prevent the auction of the Pascaline.
Fact Check:
– The Pascaline was designed by Blaise Pascal in 1642 – Verified facts. This information is widely documented and accepted in historical records.
– The estimated value of the Pascaline is €850,000 – Unconfirmed claims. The valuation of historical artifacts can vary, and the exact value may not be definitively proven.
—
Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Paris court blocks auction of earliest-known calculator”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.