Centre the protractor on the same end of the line and make a dot at 40°. From the same end, use a ruler to draw a line through the dot, crossing the arc. Label the length 7 cm and the angle 40°.

In it, she demonstrates how easily our humble appendages can make us look like fiddly geniuses – or at least like common math whizzes – if only we’d allow ourselves the necessity of reinvention.

Rafael Araujo doesn’t use modern technology to create his intricately drawn Calculations series—unless, of course, you count a ruler and protractor.

The protractor and the Bunsen burner. Playing the recorder in music class. Drawing arcs and circles with a compass in geometry. These tools of the education trade become part of our lives for a ...