Science
Ancient Greek ‘Computer’ Found In Shipwreck Reveals Advanced Astronomical Knowledge
For more than a century, scientists have been perplexed by a technology so sophisticated that it was previously deemed inconceivable for its time.
The 2,000-year-old astronomical calculator known as the Antikythera Mechanism, sometimes referred to as the first computer in history, has called into question a lot of our preconceived notions about ancient technology. This elaborate feat of engineering, which was found in a shipwreck off the coast of Greece in 1901, was extremely advanced for its time and raised significant doubts about the ancient Greeks’ capacity.
The Antikythera Mechanism, which was made of bronze and had a number of complex gears, was intended to monitor the motions of the stars and forecast astronomical occurrences like planetary alignments and eclipses.
Its degree of accuracy in construction points to a profound comprehension of mechanics and mathematics, which historians had thought was unattainable by ancient civilisations.
Fern claims that the Antikythera Mechanism is a “complex simulation of the cosmos” at approximately 10:35 in their YouTube video, which is reproduced above.
Fern further added: “pick any day, the machine [would show] you where the world stood, which star constellation was rising, or when the next eclipse was coming. All this in a wooden case as large as a book.”
Experts had a difficult time figuring out how the device operated for decades. Much of the mechanism’s function was still unknown because just around one-third of the original mechanism survived.
The back panel, which included inscriptions explaining its function, was decoded by earlier research, but the intricate gear mechanism in the front left specialists baffled.
Nonetheless, a 2021 study conducted by University College London (UCL) academics seems to have made progress in resolving the issue.
Scientists were able to recreate the mechanism’s front panel using sophisticated 3D modelling, exposing an intricate display that charted the motions of the Sun, Moon, and the five planets that were then known.
According to Scientific Reports, the new model offers the most precise reconstruction of the gadget to date and is consistent with historical inscriptions.
The study’s chief author, Professor Tony Freeth, called the mechanism a “tour de force of ancient Greek brilliance,” highlighting the fact that it was the first model to completely match the empirical data. In order to have a better understanding of its operation, the researchers now plan to construct a full-scale copy using contemporary materials.
The Antikythera Mechanism’s seeming historical out-of-placeness is what makes it so intriguing. It would be over a thousand years before clockwork devices appeared in the Middle Ages, when similar mechanical intricacy would be seen for the first time. This has caused some people to wonder if more, equally sophisticated gadgets have not yet been found or if the information that was utilised to develop it was lost over time.
In a sense, the Antikythera Mechanism’s discovery has changed our perspective on ancient civilisations because it has shown that at least some of their members were significantly more technologically advanced than previously thought. This antique “computer” reminds us that history is full of surprises as scientists continue to uncover its mysteries.
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