41 yrs on this 3rd rock from the sun and I am still amazed at what I continue to learn.
From BBCNews Science/Nature:
Ancient Moon ‘computer’ revisited
By Jonathan Fildes
Science and technology reporter, BBC NewsThe delicate workings at the heart of a 2,000-year-old analogue computer have been revealed by scientists.
The Antikythera Mechanism, discovered more than 100 years ago in a Roman shipwreck, was used by ancient Greeks to display astronomical cycles.
Using advanced imaging techniques, an Anglo-Greek team probed the remaining fragments of the complex geared device.
The results, published in the journal Nature, show it could have been used to predict solar and lunar eclipses.
The elaborate arrangement of bronze gears may also have displayed planetary information.
“This is as important for technology as the Acropolis is for architecture,” said Professor John Seiradakis of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, and one of the team. “It is a unique device.”
However, not all experts agree with the team’s interpretation of the mechanism.
Linkage:
Wikipedia: Antikythera mechanism
The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project