And the strings seem to multiply with time.

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Although slow - the machine took up to 10 seconds to multiply two numbers - it proved very reliable and often cranked up 80 hours of running time in a week.

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If, for example, a company is caught only every fifth time it pollutes a river, then when it is caught a jury fixing damages should multiply the value of harm done by five.

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Over time, he says, some escaped and others were set loose, and they slowly began to multiply.

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Over time, immigrants and their descendants go into so many different fields that the cultural benefits of immigration multiply.

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"It is sometimes better to have more time, " Ms Lagarde said, noting that if countries tried to cut their budgets simultaneously it could multiply austerity's impact on the economy.

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