The Antikythera Mechanism Blog

Antikythera clockwork computer may be even older than thought

2009-08-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Taken from the Guardian:

New detective work suggests that the ancient mechanism for simulating planetary motions and predicting lunar eclipses was built in the 2nd century BC

More here.

Νέες προοπτικές ήρθαν από τη θάλασσα

2009-07-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

New opportunities came from the sea (in greek)

http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_2_25/07/2009_323446

World's First Computer Rebuilt, Rebooted After 2,000 Years

2008-12-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

On Wired, a reconstruction of the Mechanism by Mr. Wright.

Was the Antikethyra Mechanism made by Archimedes?

2008-12-12T08:50:00.001-08:00

Complex clock combines calendars

2008-07-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

From Nature.

The Antikythera Mechanism, a clockwork device made in Greece around 150–100 BC, astounded the world two years ago when scientists deduced how this machine was used to make complex astronomical time-reckonings. Now they say that the instrument, discovered in 1901 in a Mediterranean shipwreck, did much more than that.

Researchers have been trying to decode the mechanism's inscriptions and functions for several years. Their latest findings reveal that it links the technical calendars used by astronomers to the everyday calendars that regulated ancient Greek society — most strikingly, the calendar that set the timing of the Olympic Games.

More here.

Workings of Ancient ‘Computer’ Deciphered

2008-07-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

From the NY Times:

After a closer examination of the Antikythera Mechanism, a surviving marvel of ancient Greek technology, scientists have found that the device not only predicted solar eclipses but also organized the calendar in the four-year cycles of the Olympiad, forerunner of the modern Olympic Games.

More here.

From the Antikythera Mechanism to Herschel and Planck

2008-07-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

As part of the Dimitria Festival, Imperial College Astrophysics, the Friends of Astronomy Club of Thessaloniki and the Observatory of Thessaloniki are organizing a three-day public astronomy event. It is funded by the Municipality of Thessaloniki and aims to familiarize the public of Thessaloniki with Observational Astronomy, its history and the latest developments by bringing together the foremost UK and Greek astronomers. This event is open to anyone interested in learning about Observational Astronomy and especially university students keen to pursue graduate studies in the field.

Start Time: Friday, September 26, 2008 at 6:00pm
End Time: Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 9:00pm
Location: Thessaloniki History Center
City/Town: Thessaloníki, Greece

Official Webpage: http://astro.ic.ac.uk/outreach/obs_astro.shtml

Was ancient Greek 'calculator' used to teach astronomy?

2008-07-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

From New Scientist:

INSCRIPTIONS on a mysterious 2000-year-old clockwork device suggest that the artefact was inspired by earlier devices made by the great Greek mathematician Archimedes.

The so-called "Antikythera mechanism" has puzzled historians since it was salvaged from an ancient shipwreck near the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901. It dates back to about 100 BC, and consists of more than 30 bronze gear wheels and pointers, enclosed in a wooden case.

More here.

Finished

2008-02-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

Infrared is dead. Long live Dr Infrared

History's Greatest Gadgets

2008-02-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

Wired features the Antikethyra Mechanism in its article on History's Greatest Gadgets.

"It took scientists a century—and the help of a $500,000 x-ray tomography system—to finally unravel the Antikythera Mechanism's mysteries..."

What the ancients did for us

2007-07-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Antikythera mechanism is featured on the BBC/Open University series, What the ancients did for us: The Greeks, along with other great ancient greek inventions, such as Hero's first steam engine Aeolipile and the Organ, Archimedes' parabolic reflector and many more. In the show, Mr. M. Wright also demonstrates his replica that follows his interpretation of the Mechanism.

You can watch the show in the UK in either the BBC or UKTV History channel.

Antikythera's Mechanism Islamic Descendant

2007-03-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

More: here

Reconstructing the Antikythera Mechanism

2007-03-08T07:24:00.000-08:00

More: here

Upcoming Events

2007-03-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

Dr Moussas, Assoc Prof in Space Physics at the University of Athens and member of the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, is invited by the Chalkis Astronomy Club to talk about the Antikythera Mechanism. The seminar will take place on the 11th March 2007 at 18:00.

Conference: DECODING THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM - Science and Technology in Ancient Greece

2006-12-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

A Conference organized by the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project with the cooperation of the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation...

More here.

International Herald Tribune: Ancient Greeks had a computer that is really 1.0

2006-12-01T02:18:00.000-08:00

A computer in antiquity would seem to be an anachronism, like Athena ordering takeout on her cellphone.

But 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 from the second century B.C. that calculated and illustrated astronomical information, particularly phases of the moon and planetary motions...

Read whole article here.

BBC: Ancient Moon 'computer' revisited

2006-11-30T05:41:00.000-08:00

The delicate workings at the heart of a 2,000-year-old analogue computer have been revealed by scientists.

The Antikythera Mechanism, discovered more than 100 years ago in a Roman shipwreck, was used by ancient Greeks to display astronomical cycles.

Using advanced imaging techniques, an Anglo-Greek team probed the remaining fragments of the complex geared device...

Read full article here.

Nature: In search of lost time

2006-11-30T04:50:00.000-08:00

The ancient Antikythera Mechanism doesn't just challenge our assumptions about technology transfer over the ages — it gives us fresh insights into history itself...

Read full article here.

Listen to the sound of the Antikythera Mechanism in Nature's podcast here.

The Guardian: Mysteries of computer from 65BC are solved

2006-11-30T04:47:00.000-08:00

· Mechanism hailed as more valuable than Mona Lisa
· Device with gear wheels tracked sun and moon

A 2,000-year-old mechanical computer salvaged from a Roman shipwreck has astounded scientists who have finally unravelled the secrets of how the sophisticated device works.

The machine was lost among cargo in 65BC when the ship carrying it sank in 42m of water off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera. By chance, in 1900, a sponge diver called Elias Stadiatos discovered the wreck and recovered statues and other artifacts from the site.

The machine first came to light when an archaeologist working on the recovered objects noticed that a lump of rock had a gear wheel embedded in it. Closer inspection of material brought up from the stricken ship subsequently revealed 80 pieces of gear wheels, dials, clock-like hands and a wooden and bronze casing bearing ancient Greek inscriptions.

Since its discovery, scientists have been trying to reconstruct the device, which is now known to be an astronomical calendar capable of tracking with remarkable precision the position of the sun, several heavenly bodies and the phases of the moon...

Read the full story here.

First post

2006-11-30T04:45:00.000-08:00

This blog will be covering whatever information is made public concerning the Antikythera Mechanism. People who feel that can contribute, please contact me.