2,000 y.o. computer discovered in Greece

[john70t]

Even more amazing? Precision gears were not thought to be used before the 1600s.

The Antikythera Mechanism - how does 14th century technology exist in a 2,000 year old device? | Altered Dimensions ParanormalAltered Dimensions Paranormal
"Although we now know what the device did, we still do not know what the mechanism was used for. Detailed examination of the gears in the mechanism showed it was able to track astronomical movements with remarkable precision. The device is capable of following the movements of the moon through the Zodiac, predict eclipses, and even recreate the irregular orbit of the moon. Researchers now believe that it may also have predicted the positions of the planets (Greeks knew of five planets at the time)."
Recreated with plexiglass:


Here is what was found:

[sjf911]

It's quite impressive in person. If you ever get to Athens, the National Archeology Museum is just incredible. It's the Louvre of the ancient world.

[kach22i]

Another article on it.

Box 1. Raised from the depths
From the following article:
In search of lost time
Jo Marchant
Nature 444, 534-538(30 November 2006)
doi:10.1038/444534a
Box*1 : In search of lost time : Nature


............and more.

Antikythera mechanism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism

It appears to be constructed upon theories of astronomy and mathematics developed by Greek astronomers and is estimated to have been made around 100 BC.

Makes you wonder what else of the ancient world was lost with the burning of the library at Alexandria, which was not all that far away.

Library of Alexandria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Alexandria

The famous burning of the Library of Alexandria, including the incalculable loss of ancient works, has become a symbol of the irretrievable loss of public knowledge.............................

During Caesar's Civil War, Julius Caesar was besieged at Alexandria in 48 BC. Many ancient sources describe Caesar setting fire to his own ships[21][22] and state that this fire spread to the library, destroying it.

48-100 BC..................pretty close in date. Perhaps this device came from Alexandria before Antikythera (and then lost at sea).

[M.D. Holloway]

Interesting but why such a fascination with the position of the stars and planets and the phases of the moon?

If you are that techno advanced surely you would know that these astro bodies play little of any role in daily affairs.

[BGCarrera32]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Interesting but why such a fascination with the position of the stars and planets and the phases of the moon?

If you are that techno advanced surely you would know that these astro bodies play little of any role in daily affairs.

Because with an understanding of these things you can precisely calculate things like the circumference of the Earth, curvature, point to point distances with high precision, etc. Something that Greeks were into...

[M.D. Holloway]

well that makes sense, I can see the value in warfare...maybe they had their own DARPA back then?

[Bill Douglas]

In regard to communications.

A guy in the America dug down 3 feet in his backyard and found some old copper wire and said "There we have it. Copper wire. 200 years ago America invented communications."

A week later a chap in Britain dug down 6 feet in his backyard and found what might have been fiber optic and said "There we have it., Fiber optic. 300 years ago Britain invented communications."

A few days after that some fulla in New Zealand started digging and digging and digging, down about 35 feet and found absolutely nothing and said "There we have it. Wireless com's. 500 years ago New Zealand invented communications."

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Interesting but why such a fascination with the position of the stars and planets and the phases of the moon?

If you are that techno advanced surely you would know that these astro bodies play little of any role in daily affairs.

Speculation about the mechanism's purpose
Antikythera mechanism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think all you have to do is look at any one of the many watch threads in this forum to understand the fascination with time pieces.

Guys will spend all sorts of coin on the latest gizmo, and back in the day this thing was tops, way better than the latest i-phone.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Interesting but why such a fascination with the position of the stars and planets and the phases of the moon?

If you are that techno advanced surely you would know that these astro bodies play little of any role in daily affairs.

To try and figure out how long it will take for our Alien overlords to return.

[sc_rufctr]

The ancients never cease to amaze me.

I'm trying to imagine a Greek metal worker making that thing 2,000 years ago.
How did he ever achieve the accuracy required? What were his tools?
It was probably commissioned by someone and would have been very expensive.

This is kind of funny...

The ancient Romans wrote down a detailed descriptions of how to surgically remove man boobs.
But how could anyone survive such a procedure without modern anesthesia and post OP meds? Not to mention sterile instruments and wound care.
I'm guessing they had extensive knowledge about medicinal herbs that has been lost in time.

So obesity in affluent societies is nothing new.

[Shuie]

Originally Posted by john70t

Here is what was found:

I think I pulled one of those from behind the dash of my 914 when I took the car apart.

[Tervuren]

I always get a chuckle out of "scientist" since Darwinism that assign ages and peoples to different intellectual evolutions.

People have been smart and intelligent since the beginning of human history.

Only a fraction of any civilization remains to be discovered by future generations once a civilization's glory is past and gone. Generally, just stone/gold/pottery is all that is left.

As we push more and more of our knowledge into easily destroyable digital media, it wouldn't take more than a huge EMP blast to send the USA back into a new stone age if we no longer had written books any more. Even those age and pass away. What are we writing in stone for future generations to uncover?

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Interesting but why such a fascination with the position of the stars and planets and the phases of the moon?

If you are that techno advanced surely you would know that these astro bodies play little of any role in daily affairs.

There is a fascination with knowledge all over the globe, devices to track these things are all over the globe. We still do this today and keep this info as well. Could be as simple as human curiosity.


Or it could be Immanuel Velikovsky's ideas, while perhaps not entirely accurate, have some weight.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

What are we writing in stone for future generations to uncover?

War memorials.

We were a warring people......................which really liked porcelain toilets.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by kach22i

War memorials.

We were a warring people......................which really liked porcelain toilets.

Graffiti

And the Arc De Triump in Paris is exactly what?

You are really tied to your presupposed notions..

[john70t]

Originally Posted by kach22i

We were a warring people......................which really liked porcelain toilets.

But before us:
The Japanese already had toilets with padded/heated seats along with bidet options with directed fans, and 2-flush systems, and self-closing lids.
Decades ago. From previously a hole in the floor.

History preferably will not think kindly upon today's regional sparkle of ingenuity.
The advancements would be procured under duress, not affinity.
Affinity is absolute in culture.

[Nostril Cheese]

Totos are awesome

[kach22i]

Could you pass me that sponge on a stick bro?

Horrible Histories - Roman Toilets Marcus and Sextus - YouTube


Toilet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roman public toilets, Ostia Antica

Flush toilet in a bathroom, with common accessories including a dispenser for toilet paper and a toilet brush in its holder

Sponge On Stick, Ancient Rome, Replica
http://www.objectlessons.org/health-and-beauty-romans/sponge-on-stick-ancient-rome-replica/s69/a349/


http://users.bestweb.net/~bennetc/Toilets.html

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by john70t

The Japanese already had toilets with padded/heated seats along with bidet options with directed fans, and 2-flush systems, and self-closing lids.
Decades ago. From previously a hole in the floor.

True that. I have used both in Japan. A simple hole in the ground (train station) and a feature rich Toto unit that would make NASA proud.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Interesting but why such a fascination with the position of the stars and planets and the phases of the moon?

If you are that techno advanced surely you would know that these astro bodies play little of any role in daily affairs.