TIL: The Antikythera mechanism
10I always knew the Greeks were pretty smart and had advanced tech, but this is pretty amazing.
It just goes to show we still have a lot to learn about the ancients.
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I always knew the Greeks were pretty smart and had advanced tech, but this is pretty amazing.
It just goes to show we still have a lot to learn about the ancients.
There’s a cool video on Vimeo explaining a lot of it for those that prefer watching to reading.
"The Antikythera Cosmos”
@mike808
thanks!
@chienfou Linking to Vimeo is such a PITA. There’s either the same video or a slightly different one on YT, so I linked that.
But if you’re a hardcore Vimeo fan, here is the Vimeo Link.
This guy is making one using old methods
I loved hearing about this thing for the first time years ago when it was first discovered. Amazing!
@PooltoyWolf That was 120 years ago!
I didn’t think you anywhere close to that old…
@2many2no @PooltoyWolf
I gotta admit, that was my first thought as well. I think we have a different definition of ‘first discovered’.
@2many2no @chienfou Wasn’t it found by modern science about 10-15 years back? In any case, I remember being excited when I found it online.
@2many2no @PooltoyWolf
it was “originally” discovered/recovered by a sponge diver off the coast of Antikythera in 1900. No one knew what it was until much later (and even now it is speculation…)
@2many2no @chienfou Thanks for the clarification!
@2many2no @PooltoyWolf
No problem. This was totally off my radar until I saw the “push notice” from my android phone… and I am much closer to the age of the discovery than you are!
@chienfou @PooltoyWolf Yeah, me too, unfortunately.
Growing old is mandatory.
Growing up is optional.
@2many2no @chienfou Jimmy Buffett says, “Growing Older But Not Up”!
@2many2no @PooltoyWolf
Until I look in the mirror my mind tells me I’m still 18!
@2many2no @chienfou @PooltoyWolf
Frank Turner says, “I won’t sit down. I won’t shuuutt up. Most of alll I will not grow up!”
Another decent article from Science News was just published a few minutes ago.
Something that complex and expensive would only be built and used for porn.
That’s what I think.
@G1 I recall reading the inscription mentioned something about “Rule 34” that baffled the translators.
Interestingly, clockwork of that complexity wouldn’t be fabricated again until the 14th century. This is from 200 BC. What if science and technology had continued uninterrupted from this point? 1500 years’ leap. Imagine the Byzantine Emperor announcing the moon landing. Muhammed wearing a digital watch.