A 2000 Year-old Computer?

MaxShimba

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Apr 11, 2008
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Antikythera Mechanism: Scientists Crack Secrets Of 2,000-year-old Astronomical Computer
ScienceDaily (July 31, 2008) — Cardiff University experts have led an international team in unravelling the secrets of a 2,000-year-old computer which could transform the way we think about the ancient world.

Professor Mike Edmunds of the School of Physics and Astronomy and mathematician Dr Tony Freeth first heard of the Antikythera Mechanism, a clock-like astronomical calculator dating from the second century BC, several years ago. Now they believe they have cracked the centuries-old mystery of how it actually works.

Remnants of a broken wooden and bronze case containing more than 30 gears was found by divers exploring a shipwreck off the island of Antikythera at the turn of the 20th century. Scientists have been trying to reconstruct it ever since. The new research suggests it is more sophisticated than anyone previously thought.

Detailed work on the gears in the mechanism showed it was able to track astronomical movements with remarkable precision. The calculator was able to follow the movements of the moon and the sun through the Zodiac, predict eclipses and even recreate the irregular orbit of the moon. The team believe it may also have predicted the positions of the planets.

The findings suggest that Greek technology was far more advanced than previously thought. No other civilisation is known to have created anything as complicated for another thousand years.

Professor Edmunds said: "This device is just extraordinary, the only thing of its kind. The design is beautiful, the astronomy is exactly right. The way the mechanics are designed just makes your jaw drop. Whoever has done this has done it extremely carefully."

The team was made up of researchers from Cardiff, the National Archeological Museum of Athens and the Universities of Athens and Thessaloniki, supported by a substantial grant from the Leverhulme Trust. The researchers were greatly aided by Hertfordshire firm X-Tek, who developed powerful X-Ray computer technology to help with the study of corroded fragments of the machine. Computer giant Hewlett-Packard provided imaging technology to enhance the surface details of the machine.

The mechanism is in 70 pieces and stored in precisely controlled conditions in Athens where it cannot be touched. Recreating its workings was a difficult, painstaking process, involving astronomers, mathematicians, computer experts, script analysts and conservation experts.

After unveiling their full findings at a two-day international conference in Athens and in the journal Nature, the researchers are now hoping to create a computer model of how the machine worked, and, in time, a full working replica. It is still uncertain what the ancient Greeks used the mechanism for, or how widespread this technology was.

Professor Edmunds said: "It does raise the question what else were they making at the time. In term of historic and scarcity value, I have to regard this mechanism as being more valuable than the Mona Lisa."

 


Antikythera Mechanism: Scientists Crack Secrets Of 2,000-year-old Astronomical Computer
ScienceDaily (July 31, 2008) — Cardiff University experts have led an international team in unravelling the secrets of a 2,000-year-old computer which could transform the way we think about the ancient world.

Professor Mike Edmunds of the School of Physics and Astronomy and mathematician Dr Tony Freeth first heard of the Antikythera Mechanism, a clock-like astronomical calculator dating from the second century BC, several years ago. Now they believe they have cracked the centuries-old mystery of how it actually works.

Remnants of a broken wooden and bronze case containing more than 30 gears was found by divers exploring a shipwreck off the island of Antikythera at the turn of the 20th century. Scientists have been trying to reconstruct it ever since. The new research suggests it is more sophisticated than anyone previously thought.

Detailed work on the gears in the mechanism showed it was able to track astronomical movements with remarkable precision. The calculator was able to follow the movements of the moon and the sun through the Zodiac, predict eclipses and even recreate the irregular orbit of the moon. The team believe it may also have predicted the positions of the planets.

The findings suggest that Greek technology was far more advanced than previously thought. No other civilisation is known to have created anything as complicated for another thousand years.

Professor Edmunds said: "This device is just extraordinary, the only thing of its kind. The design is beautiful, the astronomy is exactly right. The way the mechanics are designed just makes your jaw drop. Whoever has done this has done it extremely carefully."

The team was made up of researchers from Cardiff, the National Archeological Museum of Athens and the Universities of Athens and Thessaloniki, supported by a substantial grant from the Leverhulme Trust. The researchers were greatly aided by Hertfordshire firm X-Tek, who developed powerful X-Ray computer technology to help with the study of corroded fragments of the machine. Computer giant Hewlett-Packard provided imaging technology to enhance the surface details of the machine.

The mechanism is in 70 pieces and stored in precisely controlled conditions in Athens where it cannot be touched. Recreating its workings was a difficult, painstaking process, involving astronomers, mathematicians, computer experts, script analysts and conservation experts.

After unveiling their full findings at a two-day international conference in Athens and in the journal Nature, the researchers are now hoping to create a computer model of how the machine worked, and, in time, a full working replica. It is still uncertain what the ancient Greeks used the mechanism for, or how widespread this technology was.

Professor Edmunds said: "It does raise the question what else were they making at the time. In term of historic and scarcity value, I have to regard this mechanism as being more valuable than the Mona Lisa."




Kwa hiyo inamaanisha kuwa binadamu hawakuwa Manyani au Magorila. Walikuwa watu kamili na wenye hekima na ufahamu, na sio Manyani yanayo ishi mikumi.

It is another blow out for the evolutionists.
 


Antikythera Mechanism: Scientists Crack Secrets Of 2,000-year-old Astronomical Computer
ScienceDaily (July 31, 2008) — Cardiff University experts have led an international team in unravelling the secrets of a 2,000-year-old computer which could transform the way we think about the ancient world.



It is changing the way we think about us. If there is a 2000 year old computer, then human being was not King King.

Huo usemi wa kuwa binadamu wa mwanzo alikuwa sawa na King Kong ni historia ya uongo na isiyo na thamani katika jamii.
 


Antikythera Mechanism: Scientists Crack Secrets Of 2,000-year-old Astronomical Computer
ScienceDaily (July 31, 2008) — Cardiff University experts have led an international team in unravelling the secrets of a 2,000-year-old computer which could transform the way we think about the ancient world.

Professor Mike Edmunds of the School of Physics and Astronomy and mathematician Dr Tony Freeth first heard of the Antikythera Mechanism, a clock-like astronomical calculator dating from the second century BC, several years ago. Now they believe they have cracked the centuries-old mystery of how it actually works.

Remnants of a broken wooden and bronze case containing more than 30 gears was found by divers exploring a shipwreck off the island of Antikythera at the turn of the 20th century. Scientists have been trying to reconstruct it ever since. The new research suggests it is more sophisticated than anyone previously thought.

Detailed work on the gears in the mechanism showed it was able to track astronomical movements with remarkable precision. The calculator was able to follow the movements of the moon and the sun through the Zodiac, predict eclipses and even recreate the irregular orbit of the moon. The team believe it may also have predicted the positions of the planets.

The findings suggest that Greek technology was far more advanced than previously thought. No other civilisation is known to have created anything as complicated for another thousand years.

Professor Edmunds said: "This device is just extraordinary, the only thing of its kind. The design is beautiful, the astronomy is exactly right. The way the mechanics are designed just makes your jaw drop. Whoever has done this has done it extremely carefully."

The team was made up of researchers from Cardiff, the National Archeological Museum of Athens and the Universities of Athens and Thessaloniki, supported by a substantial grant from the Leverhulme Trust. The researchers were greatly aided by Hertfordshire firm X-Tek, who developed powerful X-Ray computer technology to help with the study of corroded fragments of the machine. Computer giant Hewlett-Packard provided imaging technology to enhance the surface details of the machine.

The mechanism is in 70 pieces and stored in precisely controlled conditions in Athens where it cannot be touched. Recreating its workings was a difficult, painstaking process, involving astronomers, mathematicians, computer experts, script analysts and conservation experts.

After unveiling their full findings at a two-day international conference in Athens and in the journal Nature, the researchers are now hoping to create a computer model of how the machine worked, and, in time, a full working replica. It is still uncertain what the ancient Greeks used the mechanism for, or how widespread this technology was.

Professor Edmunds said: "It does raise the question what else were they making at the time. In term of historic and scarcity value, I have to regard this mechanism as being more valuable than the Mona Lisa."


Evolution sacks.
 
Man, whoever built that was pro. It seems that all the smart people existed in ancient times.

I bet almost all of their smart offspring died during the Dark Ages.
 
Man, whoever built that was pro. It seems that all the smart people existed in ancient times.

I bet almost all of their smart offspring died during the Dark Ages.

Wonder if Steve Jobs "stole" the idea to build a mac from this model, as he did for the GUI when he had a talk with Xerox Palo Alto execs.

Ha haa ahaha just jocking
 
The Antikythera Computer describes a 2000(+) year-old device discovered in the remains of a Greek shipwreck that looks to have operated through a technically advanced (relative to the time it was created) interaction of gears and levers. It is theorized the machine was used as a calendar device. It is described by some as an early version of a computer, in that it's gears were used and manipulated to help compute specific calendar functions and lunar / solar positions.




 
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