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."

Comments

Not Again

[Anonymous Coward]

This has already been posted before. Please, slashdot devs, make some system to relate these articles of yours.

A note

[azav]

Slashdot editors should be required to READ SLASHDOT BEFORE EDITING.

I stand on the mountaintop, valiantly looking forwards to that one day in the distant future when technology shall have advanced far enough that slashdot's submission system actually automatically rejects the articles that are dups. Let the children sing their praises of that day; that day in the very distant future; that day when we are finally shall be free.

Re:A note

[Anonymous Coward]

"Read slashdot before editing" -- easy for you to say, but have you checked out what that site is like? It's full of badly edited stories, dupes, misinformation, barely disguised marketing and I haven't even mentioned the cesspool that is the comments section yet. I wouldn't read it even if it was my job. So, what I'm saying is that I can understand why the editors refuse to read it.