[Holly_P]

Windows 100 B.C.?

[Oatka]

What none of these articles discussed is the craftsmanship that went into this device.

By that I mean, for instance, HOW were the teeth cut? To index a device so that each tooth was identically cut implies a high degree of manufacturing sophistication. Filing each tooth by hand, no matter how carefully done, would have had enough variation to end up binding the device at the first turn.

Now times that by 30 gears of varying sizes and the marvel becomes more apparent. Whether the device was a "computer" or a calculator, it seems to me the hidden wonder is where did the smarts and technology come from to make the equipment to make this tool?

I'm even allowing here that the gear teeth were shaped like shark's teeth and not the squared off ones we are used to today. It they have the latter, which are far harder to fabricate, we have a really MAJOR puzzle on our hands.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Was their blue screen of death that nice sort of Royal greek blue?

[MattAMiller]

Did The Ancient Greeks Make A Computer?

And somewhere someone in HR wants to know why they can't get the latest version of Office to run on it.

[Future Useless Eater]

>>Windows 100 B.C.?

ROTFLMAO

[longtermmemmory]

so now the UFO conspiracy theorists will claim computers were first given to the ancient Greeks.

(of course the ancient Greek did design the first robot)

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Spark Plugs of the Gods.

[ruoflaw]

I could read it fine...thanks for the interesting article!

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Reminds me of the father from that movie: My Big Fat Greek Wedding

[SunkenCiv]

Ancient Clepsydrae
from Rees's Clocks, Watches and Chronometers, 1819

According to M. Vitruvius Pollio, the first improver of the ancient clepsydra, or water-clock, was Ctesibius of Alexandria, the son of a barber, who, about 245 years before Christ, spent much time in devising mechanical contrivances for removing not only the obstacle in question, but also another equally formidable one, which arose from the daily inequality of the Egyptian hours. As one-twelfth part of the time elapsed from sun-rise to sun setting on any day, was called an hour of that day ; and as one-twelfth part of the time that passed from full setting to sun-rise was called an hour of the night; not only did the hours of day differ from the hours of night, but from one another, at all times, except at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes ; hence it became necessary, either to make the water fall irregularly into a receiving vessel, with equidistant hour-marks, or to have varying hour-marks for a regular efflux...

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[Professional Engineer]

.A computer- in the first century B.C.?

Why not. The Ancient Greeks had every bit of technology required to build a working steam engine. Imagine the Industrial Revolution at the time of Christ. That old Star Trek Episode with televised gladiator boughts and Son worshippers doesn't seem so far fetched.

[SunkenCiv]

[kalee]

ping

[SunkenCiv]

most recent update:

The Antikythera Mechanism (Computer - 56BC)
Economist | 9-19-2002
Posted on 04/30/2006 10:21:04 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1624395/posts

[SunkenCiv]

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