Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ancient Astronomical Computer Decoded

Posted by samzenpus on from the consult-the-wheel dept.

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."

10 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. Can you imagine? by lecithin · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Can You Imagine a Beowulf Cluster of These? /sorry

    --
    It could be worse, it could be Monday.
    1. Re:Can you imagine? by tom17 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      A beowulf cluster of dupes?

      How does that work again?

    2. Re:Can you imagine? by Faylone · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Isn't that what slashdot is? /rimshot

  2. erm ... by Eastree · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Can we find a new story to post? Here it is, just with a different news source, and only five days ago: http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/ 23/2242225

  3. Dupe by Kangburra · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    It's nearly a week ago. I guess there are those who forget that quickly.
    DUPE

    --
    Common sense is not so common
  4. Dupe-A-Tron Contest by Tablizer · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I know it is off topic, but being a dupe I think this is fair game.

    Slashdot should hold a dup-finder software contest. Scripts are submitted in one of a few preselected languages, and the script that identifies the most dups with the fewest false positives in 18 months wins a prize of some sort.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  5. Re:A note by rucs_hack · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    why do people always complain about this. Slashdot isn't perfect, what is? You'd rather get your tech news from msn? Yeah, that'd be great.

  6. Re:A note by rucs_hack · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    perhaps trivially fixed, but such would be the task of the people who operate it. Its very easy to say something should be improved, not so easy to be the one doing it.

    And yes, Bach does rock, although I've always thought Mussorgsky was under-rated.

  7. Yes but.... by fernandoh26 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Yes but does it run Linux?

    Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!

    --
    Chums up, let's do this!
  8. Re:I knew it! by somersault · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Duh, everyone 'worships' something, whether it's sports/computers/whatever.. but back then if you didn't understand something then you probably made a god to 'explain' it. (yes, I'm actually a Christian, but I do think people making up gods is stupid :p )

    --
    which is totally what she said