Thursday, November 30, 2006

Ancient Computing: And We Think We're So Smart

The ancient Antikythera Mechanism continues to blow minds a century after it was found in an ancient shipwreck off of the coast of Greece.

The mechanism, arguably the worlds first computer, calculated and showed astronomical information such as the phases of the moon in the second century B.C. through a series of bronze gears and dials.
It has now been examined with high-resolution imaging systems and three-dimensional X-ray tomography, revealing a phenomenal degree of technical sophistication.
More here.

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