Prøve GULL - Gratis
Christie's pulls auction of early calculator after court intervenes
The Guardian
|November 20, 2025
A rare example of the first functioning calculating machine in human history looks likely to stay in France after Christie’s withdrew it from auction pending a definitive ruling from a Paris court on whether or not it may be exported.
La Pascaline (pictured right), developed by the French mathematician and inventor Blaise Pascal in 1642, when he was just 19, and billed as “the most important scientific instrument ever offered at auction”, had been expected to fetch more than €2m (£1.77m).
But the auction house withdrew the ebony-inlaid instrument from sale yesterday after the Paris administrative court, responding to an urgent appeal by scientists and researchers, provisionally suspended its authorisation for export late on Tuesday.
Denne historien er fra November 20, 2025-utgaven av The Guardian.
Abonner på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av kuraterte premiumhistorier og over 9000 magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Guardian
The Guardian
'A serious list of winners' Anderson's epic captures the current febrile mood
Now that the political scene in the contemporary United States looks like an unending string of military PR coups for the Trumpian right at home and abroad, it's appropriate that Paul Thomas Anderson's spectacular, mysterious counterculture epic One Battle After Another - with Leonardo DiCaprio as a clueless, dishevelled ex-revolutionary should consolidate its current position as one of the leading movies of this awards season: winning four Golden Globes including best musical or comedy and best director for Anderson whose fluency, productivity and pure technique and ambition are arguably making him America's pre-eminent film-maker. The excellent Teyana Taylor got best supporting actress.
2 mins
January 13, 2026
The Guardian
Mission impossible? United to offer Carrick transfer funds as new interim manager
Manchester United expect to confirm Michael Carrick as the interim manager today, with finance to be at the 44-year-old's disposal to strengthen the squad should a target for the long term become available.
1 mins
January 13, 2026
The Guardian
'People are desperate' Clinicians speak of an overwhelmed system
When Craig* started as a clinician for a private ADHD clinic in the spring of 2023, he was pleased by how thorough the training was and how seriously the organisation seemed to take clinical standards.
3 mins
January 13, 2026
The Guardian
Is this Tory party 2.0? Welcoming defectors carries risks for Farage
In the death throes of Boris J ohnson's government in the summer of 2022, Nadhim Zahawi was appointed chancellor by an increasingly desperate prime minister determined to cling on to power.
3 mins
January 13, 2026
The Guardian
Diplomacy Tehran is willing to talk 'on basis of respect'
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said Iran is willing to negotiate with the US about its nuclear programme on the basis of respect but did not comment on claims by Donald Trump that Iran was arranging a meeting with the US.
2 mins
January 13, 2026
The Guardian
'Voices being heard' Myanmar's military on trial in Rohingya genocide case at ICJ
Finally, I feel like our voices are being heard, and like something is going to happen that is positive for the community,\" says Monaira *.
3 mins
January 13, 2026
The Guardian
Alonso leaves Real Madrid and is replaced by Arbeloa
Xabi Alonso has left his job as coach of Real Madrid, only seven months after arriving for his first day at the club's Valdebebas training ground.
3 mins
January 13, 2026
The Guardian
Some Iranians can beat the blackout but risks are high
For most of Iran, the internet was shut off on Thursday afternoon, the most severe blackout the country has seen in years of internet shutdowns, coming after days of anti-government protests.
2 mins
January 13, 2026
The Guardian
ADHD care costs soar as NHS turns to private sector
The NHS is overspending by £164m a year on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder services, with an increasing amount going to unregulated private assessments, a Guardian investigation has found.
3 mins
January 13, 2026
The Guardian
Media watchdog investigating Musk's X after backlash over sexualised AI images
The UK media watchdog has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's X over the use of the Grok AI tool to manipulate images of women and children by removing their clothes.
2 mins
January 13, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size