Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

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Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

Post by Cody »

I’ve been reading about this device for years… it fascinates me, I must admit. It popped-up on APOD today, so I thought I’d mention it here.

The Antikythera mechanism is an amazing piece of ancient tech, and has spawned a large amount of research.
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Re: Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

Post by DaddyHoggy »

I came across this device a few years ago - amazing device.
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Re: Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

Post by Smivs »

Imagine how knocked-out we'd be if any of their electronics had survived till now. :wink:
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Re: Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

Post by Disembodied »

A fully functional version of the mechanism made out of lego:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punct ... 0/dec/10/1
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Re: Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

Post by DaddyHoggy »

Love it, love Lego!
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Re: Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

Post by Star Gazer »

The Antikythera has been a source of wonder to me ever since I first read about it 40 years ago. Much of the internals hadn't been fully discovered then, but it was still stunning enough to bring a little more healthy perspective into our egotistical assessment of our wondrous progress and superior technology.

I would love to see the proper full working model, but the Lego version - genius!! Love it! :D
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Re: Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

Post by Cmd. Cheyd »

I know what I want for X-mas next year.... :lol:
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Re: Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

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You can also make one out of lego :)
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Re: Is this the oldest ‘calculator’ in the world…

Post by Loxley »

It always fascinates me just how far the Greeks got with technology.

In a similar vein to El Viejo's link, here's MIT's take on Archimedes's Steam Cannon.
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