Ancient Astronomical Computer Decoded

slimjim8094 writes "A mechanical device from 150BC was found in a shipwreck. Upon examination with X-Rays, the device appeared to be a revolutionary computer used to calculate lunar cycles. This device "is technically more complex than any known for at least a millennium afterward." From the article "The hand-operated mechanism, presumably used in preparing calendars for planting and harvesting and fixing religious festivals, had at least 30, possibly 37, hand-cut bronze gear-wheels, the researchers said. A pin-and-slot device connecting two gear-wheels induced variations in the representation of lunar motions according to the Hipparchos model of the Moon's elliptical orbit around Earth."

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Probably a prototype

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Overly complex and tediously designed. It sounds like a prototype.

The production version probably had a sleek plastic case and LED display, but probably only supported lunar cycle calculation and none of the other farming predictors or epicycle calculators.

It was the Greek Apple, so to speak. The Grappa.

Re:Not Again

[From A Far Away Land]

It's not their fault. Their calendar's gears broke, and they keep thinking it's 2005.

Greek geek showmanship...

[__aaclcg7560]

"My gears outnumbers your gears, loser!" from the ancient scroll recently found called "Gears of War".

Another surprising feature...

[Brett Buck]

It also accurately predicts the frequency of dupe posts on Slashdot. Currently, the predicted dupe rate is 2.314x10^6 Hz, or, a period of 5 days. Remarkable accuracy.

        Brett

Oh oh...up next..

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft Corp has filed a lawsuit against the Ancient Greeks, asserting IP violations stretching as far back as 2100 years ago.

Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer was quote as saying 'Microsoft reserves the right to protect its intellectual property for the benefit of innovation. Essentially, if you as a company CEO were to ask me if you had a balance-sheet liability for using the Antikythera Mechanism, my answer would have to be yes'.

Hipparchos, the alleged creator of the Antikythera Mechanism, could not be reached for comment.

Moo

[Chacham]

Post: A mechanical device from 150BC was found in a shipwreck. Upon examination with X-Rays, the device appeared to be a revolutionary computer used to calculate lunar cycles. This device "is technically more complex than any known for at least a millennium afterward."

Translation: Some crank ex-programmer was gearing up for a raise with the loony idea of cyclic checks, and was ready to ship the classy object in C when it began to wreack havoc and the whole thing sunk. A new developer tried to insert a byte to handle the Y1K bug.

Re:Probably a prototype

[Tablizer]

Overly complex and tediously designed. It sounds like a prototype. The production version probably had a sleek plastic...

i-Strolabe
     

Re:I knew it!

[Loadmaster]

That was the idea at first, but they were limited by technology and had to settle on pyramids. It is well known that the best shape for a spaceship is a cube. That's why they never got off earth.

Swi

Slaves were good mathematicians?

[Anonymous Coward]

They didn't need mechanical devices because they had slaves.

Since we all know the root word for Slave is the same as the that for the Slavic peoples, and we know those white eastern european guys are pretty good at math...

Are you saying the ancients didn't need computers because they had mathematicians?

In related news...

[jtorkbob]

archaeologists also discovered: hyroglyphs depicting a story called 'The Antikythera Mechanism is for Porn'.

It wasn't actually bronze!

[Trespass]

It was made of petrified GRITS!

Obligatory

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah...but does it run Linux?

Ancient Problem

[Anonymous Coward]

No doubt these ancient peoples used the most sophisticated technology available to them to attempt to predict when their women would start PMS-ing.

Re:erm ...

[aussie_a]

I know I was. What is this Thanksgiving you speak of? Is it some pagan holiday?

Re:Math wise, simple yet briliant

[Himring]

How come this device died and disapeared for centuries? Given the Egyptians knowledge of the earths equinox, this was the key to discover America way before Colombus did.

Someone found it could also play music, and they lost all interest in finding america....

Re:I knew it!

[smittyoneeach]

According to Steven Wright, he was paid gobs of money by the US government for years to research who financed the pyramids.
After a couple of decades, he told them "It was this guy named Eddie."
Now, I ask you: is Wright an Iron Maiden fan, where Eddie would tie into the whole Egypt/mummy thing, or a Van Halen fan?

pwned

[gerrysteele]

Charles Babbage just got pwned

Re:I knew it!

[Grax]

Being a lunar calendar I think they used them so they would know when to hide from the werewolves. Either that or to predict the full moon so they would know the best nights for outdoor toga parties.

Honestly, does every artifact have to be religious? You'd think the ancients never did anything secular.

Re:I knew it!

[hostyle]

Being a lunar calendar ...

Er ... ok. Can I be an Irish calendar? Yes that right, today is Guinness day, the third of second Guinness this year.

Duke Nukem Forever

[slavelayer]

A new inscription found on the device said "Duke Nukem Forever Countdown calendar"

Re:I knew it!

[thelenm]

All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?