2000-year-old Computer?

[DS Star]

The Antikythera Mechanism - a 2,000-Year-Old Computer Used by Ancient Greeks

Though it was discovered 2000 years ago, only in 2005  the archaeologists finally discovered that the Antikythera Mechanism was an astronomical device, and also an astrological device. These recent discoveries were made available by using sophisticated software and the most advance technology.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/80087-2000-year-old-computer-used-by-ancient-greeks/

"The Antikythera mechanism is a 2000 years old mechanical device used to calculate the positions of the sun, moon, planets and the dates of the ancient Olympic Games. The mechanism was discovered in a shipwreck in Greece in the year 1900."

 

http://youtu.be/UpLcnAIpVRA
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"A reconstruction of Antikythera Mechanism is on display at the exhibition of Ancient Greek Technology in Athens in this file photo. The Antikythera Mechanism, is a unique find and the most sophisticated device preserved from ancient Greece(1st c.BC)."

"A rendering of what the Antikythera mechanism looked like 2,000 years ago."

Now the question is - who created this  mechanism, deem most sophisticated even by today's scientists?

If it was created by ancient Greeks, how come the knowledge to build it is lost to later generations?

Interesting isn't it?

[fruven]

Incredible! To even able to discover the functionality of this device as an astronomical and astrological device, the scientists have to employ the used of software and other technologies. This device shows that we may have lost some if not most of the knowledge from the past. Or it could even be that this device was not build by us human in the first place if we subscribed too the idea that we are primitive beings in the beginning. This is an interesting find and proves us wrong in many ways.

[yontenjamyang]

First of all, the Antikythera Mechanism is a....well mechanism and not a computer in the strict sense of the word.  More like a very sophisticated watch than a computer. However, it is no less ingenious for itsaccuracy and the knowledge it expounds on the astronomical makeup of our planet, the sun, the moon and even the planet Venus. These knowledge would need lots of accurate measurement over many lifetimes to observe, optimized into a pattern, tested for its accuracy through cycles that last tens of years and extrapolated into millenniums.

For me it speaks volume of the ingenuity of ancient man. Note that the first known record to denote that the Earth is round was made by Ptolemy. Around 150 AD, Claudius Ptolemy, a Greek geographer, drew maps that showed the earth as curved.

[bonfire]

Very impressive intellect, very precise observation, highly skilled craftmen!

There must have been a specific and important need to fulfil for intelligent minds and delicate crafters to produce such and ingenious device... The savants working on it must have been taken care of, fed and shelters by all the other humans in that society working in the fields to create food and otherwise security...

Antique society do not waste human time and human skills, the arts and skills are serving the political power or a spiritual purpose, very different from today's world in which one could spend his life on an artistic activity that does not fulfil a specific purpose essential to the growth of a civilisation. We have a never before room for waste today, we even have crafted activities that allow us to "kill the time" (video games, TV, sun-tan on the beach, etc...). Something never heard of before in human history, unless in decadent ruling monarchial cercles.

So this machine, it is an evidence, must have fulfilled an essential purpose, if only that of displaying the power of one hellenic civilisation over another hellenic civilisation to bring about power, peace and propserity (*). But most likely an even more pragmatic purpose.

(*) same purpose that brought men on the moon in 1969.

[buddhalovely]

Well, strictly speaking a definition of a computer requires that the mechanism is able to implement a Turing machine, which this does not, therefore it's not a computer in the modern mathematical sense. Babbage's universal difference engine could have implemented a Turing machine, so it is a computer. The key feature is the ability to take one of two or more branches (including reversing to an earlier position) based on input data plus internal state - the Antikythera mechanism can't do that.

That's not to dismiss it in any way though, what's amazing is the fact that the ancient Greeks could even manufacture such a thing - it has long been thopught that the techniques needed to create such precise gears only became available in the 18th century. I think the article's headline - describing it as a 'PC' - is silly, it's no such thing. The wonder of it lies in its engineering. Comparing it to a computer is just lazy journalism as usual.

[kris]

May be it is not "computer" per say, but there are quite a number of technology used by ancient civilizations which we can't explain today. And if we believe in Buddhism, which there are many universe out there, I am quite sure there are many more civilizations more advanced than us..

I like a TV program called "Ancient Aliens". Just google and watch the videos. I am not saying I totally agree with what they say, but at least it make us think "out of this earth" more...

[bambi]

I agree with you kris... I watched Ancient Aliens as well and I do believe that the 'computer' could be build by someone from somewhere else, not of this earth or 1 might say, the person who built it could be a very very intelligent person. Either way, Buddhism did say that there are many more universes out there and not just ours...

[RedLantern]

If something this complex was created as far back as they say it was,I am sure they wouldn't have mass produced them.On the other hand,even if they did mass produce them,each one would have to be made by hand which means more flaws,as well as slower production time.Although you want to be skeptical,no amount of logic will change that.People have discovered our technology in the past civilizations,but the media doesn't even show it cause it would be counter productive to us being an evolved smart human.We are just as smart as the people of the ancient civilization.

[DS Star]

First of all, the Antikythera Mechanism is a....well mechanism and not a computer in the strict sense of the word.  More like a very sophisticated watch than a computer. However, it is no less ingenious for itsaccuracy and the knowledge it expounds on the astronomical makeup of our planet, the sun, the moon and even the planet Venus. These knowledge would need lots of accurate measurement over many lifetimes to observe, optimized into a pattern, tested for its accuracy through cycles that last tens of years and extrapolated into millenniums.

For me it speaks volume of the ingenuity of ancient man. Note that the first known record to denote that the Earth is round was made by Ptolemy. Around 150 AD, Claudius Ptolemy, a Greek geographer, drew maps that showed the earth as curved.

Yonten Jamyang, does it means you believe that this machine is built by ancient Greeks?

If it is so, I wonder why only one of this piece is found and why the technology was lost to later generations?

Kris and Bambi seems to believe it was built with help from aliens... is it so?

If we watch the show "Ancient Aliens", there are so many amazing things that require a lot of explanations and to get the easy way out, we can just believe that aliens are the ones responsible for building them 

[Positive Change]

Truly remarkable indeed how a mechanism so complex that it baffles modern day minds. Where did it come from, or at least where did the knowledge come from. Is modern day man capable of such intellect? If so, why have we not done so and if not, where is that missing link?

Second paper on the Antikythera Mechanism published in science journal Nature

A new paper from the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project (AMRP) is published in the prestige science journal Nature on July 31st 2008. It reveals surprising results on the back dials of the Antikythera Mechanism - including a dial dedicated to the four-year Olympiad Cycle of athletic games in ancient Greece.
The research team has also deciphered all the months on the Mechanism’s 19-year calendar, revealing month names that are of Corinthian origin, probably from a Corinthian colony of the western Hellenic world - overturning the previous idea that the Mechanism was from the eastern part of the Mediterranean. For the first time we have direct evidence of its cultural origins.

Additional research has also transformed our understanding of the Mechanism’s sophisticated eclipse prediction dials. These results have extended the previous work of the AMRP on the complex structure of the Mechanism’s gears and dials and have added new and intriguing cultural and social dimensions.

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A demonstration of The Antikythera Mechanism by Curator Micheal Wright

Ancient Discoveries - The Antikythera Machine	Small | Large

Ever popular Ancient Discoveries Series covers the The Antikythera Mechanism

More interesting reads here: http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/

[yontenjamyang]

I think question that begs to be asked is "Were ancient men help by superior intelligence ie aliens?" The implied meaning to these documentary is that there were superior intelligence helping ancient men. But why? What is the reason. To answer this, we need to ask if ancient men are capable of building these machines and other seemingly impossible tasks like monuments by themselves without help from superior intelligence. The obvious answer seem to be No; ancient men could not have built it all by themselves.

To support my point. Lets examine modern device, buildings, inventions and even mundane everyday things like your pack of cookies that you bought from the convenient store. All these things exists because someone built/made it into the final products with the support of many other machines, products, inventions, methods and infrastructure in a long supply chain. Even if some totally new were to be invented today, it has to be supported by other inventions. It cannot exist without support.

So where are these other inventions from ancient times that help built these machines? Where are the supply chain? It is very obvious. These machines (and other ancient wonders) seem to pop up by itself.

This to me points to me that there must be help from superior beings. Some call them aliens. But ancient men called them gods.