Mystery of Ancient Greek Computer Solved -Plots Motion of the Planets

If you've ever found yourself struggling with a jigsaw, give some thought to ex-curator of the London Science Museum Michael Wright.  The most fiendish of thousand-piece pictures can't hold a candle to the puzzle he solved: moving parts, ancient latin instructions, three quarters of the pieces missing - oh, and the remaining bits have been underwater for two thousand years.  That's the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient mechanical computer that's been entirely reconstructed based on chunks of verdigrised metal that look more like extremely stale pastries than one of the most fascinating devices in the history of technology.

The corroded components, salvaged from a sunken Roman vessel, have been subjected to more intense scrutiny than Paris Hilton's nether regions. High resolution surface scanning and X-ray tomography sucked every available drop of data from this most delicious of mysteries, fueling years of debate over the functions and operation of this mysterious machine.  Even the most basic examination revealed a level of sophistication not associated with classical times, with technology that would be lost with the fall of Rome and not regained until over a thousand years later.

Precision made cogs, differential gears, and the "Hipparchos lunar mechanism" (which sounds like something Dr Evil would threaten the globe with) - these and many more parts make up a surprisingly sophisticated system which tracked the motion of the moon and planets visible to the Greeks relative the Zodiac and Egyptian calendar.  You might think that building such a precision device to measure the zodiac is like developing a microcomputer array to count the number of magpies you see in the morning, but remember - the zodiac wasn't always a daily update from "World of the Gullible".  It was developed as the first celestial co-ordinate system, an amazing advance in natural science and astronomy by one of the most celebrated scientific cultures in history.

If they were so advanced in the ways of computing, why don't we have engraved transcripts of Greeks typing "Eurek@! W00t!!" to each other on brass-cranked contraptions?  Because back then computers didn't occupy the same role they do in modern society - pretty much everything you wanted to reasonably work out could be done so by hand, though it might take a while.  Greek weaponry didn't need supercomputing systems to develop or control (modern computing was brought about by the Manhattan project, which need colossal number crunchers to work out the physics of nuclear weaponry), so the only funding for these amazing devices was interested private citizens who might want one for the lounging-around-in-a-toga room.  But there was no market for development of line of temple-top Hechatonchires XXVV computers, and they remained an interesting novelty for a few.  But while metal computers weren't popular, metal everything else certainly was, so it's likely that the instant the owner was finished with one it was melted down to make something more useful.

Mr Wright's reconstruction accurately models the motion of the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.  While you sometimes can't get your electronic computer to open a file.  So next time you find you're missing a single screw for your IKEA desk, remember that people have dealt with harder problems.

Posted by Luke McKinney.

Antikythera mechanism reconstructed http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/nov/30/uknews

Comments

[Bosco]

WoW congrats! This site has managed a post without blaming Bush/Republicans or America for something, usually totally unrelated to the article. Great work. Now work on cutting out the lame "jokes" and providing actual content.

[budda]

arrr shame the Bush/Republicans or America are 99 percent to blame for the worlds problems

[budda]

arrr shame the Bush/Republicans or America are 99 percent to blame for the worlds problems

[tyro]

Agreed--the pop-culture references ought to be removed, with more actual content to replace. Seems to be filler to compensate for a lack of actual material. Would be interesting that way.

[poke]

I think you are doing a fine job. Throw in as many jokes as you want, and blame the republicans and Bush as many times as u can. I will still come here and read your fine and sometimes amazing articles.

[knoxvilledaniel]

I've always suspected that the Antikythera device was some kind of machine for plotting solar / lunar / planetary motion (s), & they've stated that that's exactly what it is. Our ancestors were more advanced than we thought. The 6 celestial bodies whose motions it tracked were the 6 most visible objects in the sky.

& extra - terrestrial visitors had nothing to do with its construction. Take that, proponents of " ancient astronauts ".

[Mirror Man]

PSH, ripping on the bush administration and slightly funny jokes IS the reason why i read these things. everything else is so sterile compared to these articles. they sound like they where written by human beings rather than robots.

and oh ya, the bush administration doesn't have a secret police reminiscent of the gestapo brought about by the patriot act that can hold you without charges, without a warrant, without trial, and without access to a lawyer, and isn't regulated by anyone. but never you mind that because its all to protect us from the Jews... err i mean the terrorists. but never you mind that, i am just thankful that bush and Chaney are here to protect us from the rest of the world.