The Antikythera Mechanism

[Simpo Two]

Superb graphics - and that engineer guy was a real genius.

As for the 'But how did the Ancient Greeks make a cogwheel with 53 teeth?' angle (inference - aliens), he just sat down, marked one out and filed it to shape. That's what you need - people who can make stuff.

BUT it didn't tell you how you'd use it to predict eclipses etc. There were lots of wheels going round but I wanted someone to say 'Let's see when the next eclipse of the sun will be' and actually use it.

I was also surprised that if the Greeks could build such a thing, they didn't start with something easier, like a normal clock...!

[Halb]

I infer that with something like that, the history of it's creation to that point must go back further, and be known to capable/technical people.

[annodomini2]

It's well known the Roman's had electroplating.

The Ancient Greek's made the first steps towards steam power.

Mechanisation of a form was around, but there are lots of "little bits" of information, knowledge and understanding, that have been gathered over the intervening years and allow a lot of the 'advanced' technology we have today.

These ancient peoples were just as intelligent as we are now, knowledge has been discovered and lost many times.

There are still ancient things out there that we do not understand how they made them.

[Simpo Two]

annodomini2 said:

These ancient peoples were just as intelligent as we are now, knowledge has been discovered and lost many times.

It happens faster than you think. Consider the people who look at a pack of supermarket meat one day after its sell by date and ask 'Can I eat it?' 30+ years ago they knew; now they are ignorant and helpless. But they can txt their m8s.

[russman777]

Bbc4 on now

[FourWheelDrift]

Just watched it last night too.

I'd always known about it but the programme last night was fascinating, real detective work.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Blackpuddin said:

Are there any other 'ahead of their time' devices like this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad_Battery

[FourWheelDrift]

Greek steam engine the Aeolipile - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolipile

[hairykrishna]

Simpo Two said:

As for the 'But how did the Ancient Greeks make a cogwheel with 53 teeth?' angle (inference - aliens), he just sat down, marked one out and filed it to shape. That's what you need - people who can make stuff.

He was brilliant. So many archaeological arguments can be solved, semi definitively at least, when someone with mechanical knowledge just tries it.

[robsa]

I believe Arthur C. Clarke did something on it - I read about it in the 'book of the TV series' when I was a boy, althoughg of course it was suggested Aliens had built it back then

Also, remember that Homo Sapiens have been the same no for over 20 thousand years - that is, people then were of equal intelligence as people now.

It is remarkable though.

[FourWheelDrift]

Marine Archaeologists are returning to the site of the ancient shipwreck where the Antikythera Mechanism with a new diving exosuit in a attempt to find more as yet undiscovered pieces. The depth of the site (120m) has always prevented any prolonged time on the site.

http://phys.org/news/2014-06-exosuit-explore-ancie...

[blasos]

stew-S160 said:

If humanity had not suffered The Dark Ages and other such religious and nonsensical set backs, we'd probably already be properly exploring the stars by now

Yes, and worst of all: capitalism!

[Halb]

FourWheelDrift said:

Marine Archaeologists are returning to the site of the ancient shipwreck where the Antikythera Mechanism with a new diving exosuit in a attempt to find more as yet undiscovered pieces. The depth of the site (120m) has always prevented any prolonged time on the site.

http://phys.org/news/2014-06-exosuit-explore-ancie...

Wonder how they are getting on!

[Halb]

The Mysterious Antikythera Mechanism Is More Ancient Than We Thought
http://io9.com/the-mysterious-antikythera-mechanis...

[MiseryStreak]

Halb said:

The Mysterious Antikythera Mechanism Is More Ancient Than We Thought
http://io9.com/the-mysterious-antikythera-mechanis...

I don't think so, I think they set the start date in the past for one reason or another. It's got to be Archimedean in origin, who else could have designed it?

[MartG]

MiseryStreak said:

.......... who else could have designed it?

Sorry, I had no option but to post that

[FourWheelDrift]

Now if the BBC writers were clever, they could include the Antikythera Mechanism as part of the Tardis.

[Hooli]

MiseryStreak said:

Halb said:

The Mysterious Antikythera Mechanism Is More Ancient Than We Thought
http://io9.com/the-mysterious-antikythera-mechanis...

I don't think so, I think they set the start date in the past for one reason or another. It's got to be Archimedean in origin, who else could have designed it?

I'd agree they'd start in the past, if only to compare to records to prove it works.

[VeeDubBigBird]

Every invention has its time to rise up (get it steam, rise up.....) and make a difference, steam was around for some time but until the 17th century it never really had a practical application, same can be said for batteries or even the theory of evolution.

[Simpo Two]

VeeDubBigBird said:

Every invention has its time to rise up (get it steam, rise up.....) and make a difference, steam was around for some time but until the 17th century it never really had a practical application, same can be said for batteries or even the theory of evolution.

It may have been a unique invention that existed only as a prototype. On hearing of its loss in the shipwreck, the inventor said 'Arse! I'm not doing that all over again' - and went back to farming...