The Antikythera Mechanism.

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   Interesting to see if & how people will respond to these findings by an international team of scientists.

Technology works out secrets of ancient Greek calculator.

"An international scientific team has used the latest X-ray and super-imaging technology to reveal the workings of an ancient Greek calculator that could accurately follow the movements of the sun and moon, predict eclipses, and recreate the irregular orbit of the moon as seen from the earth."

"The international team, led by Edmunds and Tony Freeth, Cardiff University, included astronomers, mathematicians, computer experts, script analysts and conservation experts from the UK, Greece and the United States."

"It's a very complex mechanism that has transformed our understanding of what the Greeks were capable of in terms of technology," said Tony Freeth, a researcher on the project.

Video: The inner workings
(Please say if above video works for you.)

"The device, known as the "Antikythera Mechanism", consists of about 80 bronze fragments, among them almost 30 gear wheels of different sizes."

"The fragments were found in 1901, and scientists have been studying & reassembling the mechanism since.  Although earlier researchers correctly identified the corroded remains as an astronomical clock, their fragile condition had prevented a close-up study until the arrival of new technology."

"Mike Edmunds, a professor at Cardiff University in the UK, presented the international team's findings at a conference in Athens."

"The dinner plate-sized calculator was unexpectedly sophisticated for its time; it could follow the movements of the sun and moon, predict eclipses, and recreate the irregular orbit of the moon as seen from the earth.  The device may also have predicted the positions of some other planets.  Some gears covered cycles of as many as 80 years."

"High-resolution surface imaging technology has made it possible to read inscriptions on more of the fragments - apparently parts of a manual on operating the calculator."

"Repeated analysis of the lettering indicates a construction date of between 150 and 100 BC, slightly earlier than had been assumed, describes how it was made & used, and mentions information on astronomy."

"Overall, the mechanism is technically more complex than any comparable known mechanical device for at least a millennium afterwards.  "It's as complicated as a clock," said Prof Edmunds.  "It is only when you get Medieval astronomical clocks that you go beyond this in complexity.  The design is beautiful, the astronomy is right."

"The device could also mechanically replicate the irregular motions of the Moon, caused by its elliptical orbit around the Earth, using a clever design involving two superimposed gear-wheels, one slightly off-center, that are connected by a pin-and-slot device."

URLs:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/29/ugreek129.xml
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20061129/sc_livescience/scientistsunravelmysteryofancientgreekmachine 

Edited by Hellios - 12-Dec-2006 at 04:17