Solving the Riddles of an Early Astronomical Calculator
By JOHN MARKOFFNOV. 24, 2014Photohttp://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/11/25/science/25DEVI1/25DEVI1-master495.jpg Part of the Antikythera Mechanism, above, an astronomical calculator raised from a shipwreck in 1901. Credit Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press
A riddle for the ages may be a small step closer to a solution: Who made the famed Antikythera Mechanism, the astronomical calculator that was raised from an ancient shipwreck near Crete in 1901?
The complex clocklike assembly of bronze gears and display dials predates other known examples of similar technology by more than 1,000 years. It accurately predicted lunar and solar eclipses, as well as solar, lunar and planetary positions.
For good measure, the mechanism also tracked the dates of the Olympic Games. Although it was not programmable in the modern sense, some have called it the first analog computer.
Full Article