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Apple engineer uses Lego to rebuild Antikythera mechanism

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Re: Apple engineer uses Lego to rebuild Antikythera mechanism

#41

Post by StavrosK »

p_nathan wrote: post #36
jacquesm wrote: post #17

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 is a terrible thing that the Library of Alexandria was burnt. Where we might be today if that had not happened...

Probably measuring data size in libraries of Alexandria, for one...

Re: Apple engineer uses Lego to rebuild Antikythera mechanism

#42

Post by jberryman »

jacquesm wrote: post #31
Luyt wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Sure, but there is a bit of a difference in precision between a man sized gear or one that would not be out of place in a modern gear driven clock. I think you got confused by the wording of "precision of the original metalworking and gearing", original as in 'not the lego version', not suggesting it was the first use of gears.

In a clock precision in the metalwork in the gears is important to cut down on friction, etc. But I'm not sure if the saem can be said for this ancient computer.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like what is important here is simply the ratios of the number of teeth on the different gears.

I mean obviously all the parts have to mesh when the device is cranked but it doesn't have to turn terribly smoothly to work.

Re: Apple engineer uses Lego to rebuild Antikythera mechanism

#43

Post by sp332 »

dmoney wrote: post #40

This is offtopic, but it makes me angry every time someone uses Lego (singular) as a collective noun. When I was a kid they were always called "Legos". I never heard someone say "I built X out of Lego". I don't know if it's worse that they try to enforce this artificial use of language, or that everyone goes along with it. "Lego bricks" sounds artificial too, but at least it sounds plural.

LEGO(TM) is a trademark, which means (in the USA at least) that it should not be used as a noun. The company risks losing the ability to assert its trademark if they don't enforce this. The "proper" use is: LEGO(TM)-brand toy building blocks.

Yeah, I know it sounds dumb and no one will ever call them that, but calling them "Legos" or "Lego" isn't correct either.

Re: Apple engineer uses Lego to rebuild Antikythera mechanism

#44

Post by jackvalentine »

dmoney wrote: post #40

This is offtopic, but it makes me angry every time someone uses Lego (singular) as a collective noun. When I was a kid they were always called "Legos". I never heard someone say "I built X out of Lego". I don't know if it's worse that they try to enforce this artificial use of language, or that everyone goes along with it. "Lego bricks" sounds artificial too, but at least it sounds plural.

That must be a US thing. Never heard "Legos" before.

Re: Apple engineer uses Lego to rebuild Antikythera mechanism

#45

Post by julianz »

dmoney wrote: post #40

This is offtopic, but it makes me angry every time someone uses Lego (singular) as a collective noun. When I was a kid they were always called "Legos". I never heard someone say "I built X out of Lego". I don't know if it's worse that they try to enforce this artificial use of language, or that everyone goes along with it. "Lego bricks" sounds artificial too, but at least it sounds plural.

I think "Legos" is a US-specific usage. In NZ, Australia and UK I've only ever heard people say "built it out of Lego".
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