Even more about the Antikythera mechanism. [more inside]
posted by Substrata on Aug 23, 2009 - 78 comments

Antikythera mechanism update. Prev: here, and here. includes video.
posted by Substrata on Dec 12, 2008 - 28 comments

This is like, even older than the Apple ][. Scientists use high-res imaging to take a real close look at the Antikythera Mechanism [previously discussed here], and it's even more sophisticated than they first thought. It's all in this week's Nature.
posted by jtajta on Nov 29, 2006 - 27 comments

In 1900 a sponge diver called Elias Stadiatos discovered the wreck of an ancient merchant ship off the tiny island of Antikythera near Crete. The corbita, dating from the first century B.C., was heavily laden with treasure of all kinds, original bronze life-size statues, marble reproductions of older works, jewelry, wine, fine furniture and one immensely complicated scientific instrument. The Antikythera mechanism was originally housed in a wooden box about the size of a shoebox with dials on the outside and a complex clockwork assembly of gears inscribed and configured to produce solar and lunar positions in synchronization with the calendar year. By rotating a handle on its side, its owner could read on its front and back dials the progressions of the lunar and synodic months over four-year cycles. The device has been estimated to be accurate to 1 part in 40,000. (more inside...)
posted by lagado on Sep 24, 2002 - 15 comments