An Ancient Computer Surprises Scientists – New York Times — I suspect time travelers.
… a century ago, pieces of a strange mechanism with bronze gears and dials were recovered from an ancient shipwreck off the coast of Greece. Historians of science concluded that this was an instrument that calculated and illustrated astronomical information, particularly phases of the Moon and planetary motions, in the second century B.C.
The Antikythera Mechanism, sometimes called the world’s first computer, has now been examined with the latest in high-resolution imaging systems and three-dimensional X-ray tomography. A team of British, Greek and American researchers was able to decipher many inscriptions and reconstruct the gear functions, revealing, they said, “an unexpected degree of technical sophistication for the period.”
found by Aric Mackey
First of all, are we absolutely sure that this is not a can opener? It was recovered from a shipwreck. Food spoils, and it seems reasonable that the ancient seafarers might have carried canned goods aboard.
Second, how do we know that this device did not belong to Jesus? Yes, yes, I know what you are going to say– too many facts do not fit its ownership being that of Jesus Christ. But I think we should form an investigative team to see if, in fact, the very facts which seem to deny the possibility that it belonged to Jesus actually prove that it must have belonged to Jesus– well, at least with 100,000 to 1 probability.
2,
We also covered this when the scientists first started sifting throught the data from the most recent scans made of the object:
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=8205
you guys are funny…
I thought a multinational team of nephologists had already proved beyond any reasonable doubt that this was Jesus’s personal can opener.
Look real close on the right side. Looks like an ethernet port to me!
It’s arrogant and myopic of us to think that we’re the first technological society, or even the most advanced technological society, to exist over the last 30,000 years. That’s a LONG TIME, and many advanced civilizations could have evolved and fallen without any trace whatsoever of their ever existing. (I think Alix beats this drum sometimes? )
Mking a clock out of bronze doesn’t necessarily prove anything, it just highlights how silly it is to be SURPRISED to find something like this.
Never underestimate the apes from the Sol system. Some of them are smarter than they look.
Remember, the high tech item are the ones that get trashed first, in a 1000 years ppl will wonder why people sat in front of “televisions” inside the cubicles.
I am always that we are surprised by how sophisticated ancient times could be. but there are always really bright people in any era. after all can the average person today tell you how the combustion engine works, or derive Newton’s equations. we are all carried on the backs of the smart people of all eras.
Has anyone devised how they might have ground the gears? Even with modern tooling, building a gear system is a challenge. How would they roll the brass plate for their stock? It is really had for me to imagine pounding gear stock out with a hammer, and improvised tools. Where would you even begin scraping the flats?
Has anyone devised how they might have ground the gears?
On one of the History/Nat’lGeo/Discovery shows (Ancient Discoveries?) there was a man who build a duplicate of the Machine, showing how he cut the gears, etc.
[spending too much time at the TV]
J/P=?
I wonder what it’ll take to run Vista on this thing. I bet that it’ll have a Linux distro available in a couple of weeks.
and of course the geek researchers did most of the job
Why do I foresee reproductions popping up in the Sharper Image store? Or maybe the Franklin mint?
#8—in a 1000 years ppl will wonder why people sat in front of “televisions” inside the cubicles.
I’m already trying to figure it out. (No luck so far.)
ONLy thing we have proven in the last 50 years,
Is that we can make Anything run on batteries..
Even a compass..
What use is it, when they wear out.. LOST…
Think I’ll toss the accounting software, the spreadsheets, the computers, etc, and place an abacus and a quill pen on my desk. Then, when the boss comes into my office and asks how I’m going to keep the books I’ll just point to the abacus. When he asks where I’m going to keep the records I’ll point to my head. The betting point will be whether he succumbs to the heart attack before he shoots me.
But long ago, and not that far away, highly complex civilizations were run with complex machines of relatively primitive manufacture.
6,
I beat that drum all the time. Ancient man was far more sophisticated than we allow in our histories.
11,
Yes, the man did cut the gears himself, but he started with sheet metal. Did he make the files he used himself, and out of what? How did he create his ruler?
How can you get perfectly (millimeter tolerances are such for all intents and purposes when discussing hand tools) flat surfaces without precise tools, or at the very minimum (this part is non-negotiable) means of making consistent, precise measurements. How do you make the tools to make the tools?
It appears to be the right shape and size for T. Rex hands. Anyone sure it’s human?