21–30 of 45 posts
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4184
"Astronomers and astrologers probably could not have afforded it. It could have been used as an education tool. Most likely it was built for wealthy Romans who had some interest in its features, probably not too different from early adopters who wanted to have the first iPhone with all the cool apps."
I've always thought that "Math with gears" would be a fascinating elective course and should be included with most engineering programs.
It explains all the mechanics used for adders, integrators, differentiators, etc... very insightful.
What should really blow your mind is the precision of the original metalworking and gearing, well before the age of clockmaking and watchmaking. An item like that to spring in to existence without any record of a history leading up to it or a history of devices descending from it really makes you wonder whose imagination it sprang from and why it wasn't recognized that these principles had further application, or, al…
An explanation for that fact that so few devices remain that a record of history seems to be missing, could be that they were made of metals (copper, bronze, etc) which were quite precious in that time, so the devices probably got recycled. Image that, some warrior smelting a few antikythera machines to forge a sword!
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1992756
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1992715
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1991659
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1991557
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1990493
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1988818
None of those have much discussion, but it's interesting just how many submissions there have been about the antikythera:
Previously on this subject: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1992756 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1992715 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1991659 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1991557 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1990493 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1988818 None of those have much discussion, but it's interesting just how many submissions there have been about the antikythera: http:/…
What should really blow your mind is the precision of the original metalworking and gearing, well before the age of clockmaking and watchmaking. An item like that to spring in to existence without any record of a history leading up to it or a history of devices descending from it really makes you wonder whose imagination it sprang from and why it wasn't recognized that these principles had further application, or, al…
It's a wonderful piece of engineering indeed, but not the first one. Gears were used long before that ( http://www.nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/IIT-MADRAS/Machine_Desig... ), as early as 2600 BC for opening doors, lifting water and measuring distances. Archimedes used gears for all kind of stuff in 330 BC (See http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/ArchimedesGears.htm ) An explanation for that fact that so few devices remain that…
Their next task will be to build the Babbage Difference Engine out of Lego.
I've seen both the devices in the flesh, and they are little works of art. Not sure if he's planning on building any more.