Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Ancient calculator was 1,000 yrs ahead of its time
Reuters ^ | 11/28/06 | Reuters

Posted on 11/29/2006 11:17:09 AM PST by freedom44

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-73 next last

1 posted on 11/29/2006 11:17:12 AM PST by freedom44
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

GGG


2 posted on 11/29/2006 11:17:40 AM PST by freedom44
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freedom44

RPN?


3 posted on 11/29/2006 11:17:44 AM PST by tje
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

Ping


4 posted on 11/29/2006 11:18:11 AM PST by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freedom44

Slow day at Reuters?


5 posted on 11/29/2006 11:18:47 AM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. Rozerem commercials give me nightmares)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freedom44

6 posted on 11/29/2006 11:19:05 AM PST by Constitution Day ("Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." — Aldous Huxley)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tje

LOL!


7 posted on 11/29/2006 11:19:56 AM PST by SunkenCiv (I last updated my profile on Thursday, November 16, 2006 https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: freedom44

I want a replica!

actually the ancients had an advanced concept of water power and mechanics that awould surprise most people today.

the roman coleseum had a water powered organ, for example.


8 posted on 11/29/2006 11:20:11 AM PST by camle (keep your mind open and somebody will fill it full of something for you)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freedom44

Reuters is about a year or more late on this story, History Channel covered this a while back.

It also went into the water clocks and other mechanical devices.

Actually the water clock in that special is mostly intact, in athens, near the acropolis.

It is actually quite stagering how much knowlege was delayed due to the dark ages. Imagine where we would be if we did not lose those 1000 years or so.


9 posted on 11/29/2006 11:23:20 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freedom44; blam; FairOpinion; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 24Karet; 3AngelaD; ...
Thanks freedom44. No ping, because there have been a bunch of Antikythera articles, including one from 2003 which mentions the computing angle.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

10 posted on 11/29/2006 11:24:36 AM PST by SunkenCiv (I last updated my profile on Thursday, November 16, 2006 https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory

textbooks refer to babbage's differential machine, or even the eniac as the world's first computer. When I beg to differ, I cite the Antekythera (or however ya spell ti) mechanism. opens a few eyes as to just how smart we really can be.


11 posted on 11/29/2006 11:25:08 AM PST by camle (keep your mind open and somebody will fill it full of something for you)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: freedom44

I remember seeing this on an episode of the History Channel about a year ago.


12 posted on 11/29/2006 11:26:34 AM PST by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory
Reuters is about a year or more late on this story, History Channel covered this a while back.

This is actually brand new work; they wheeled in a sophisticated portable X-Ray machine and discovered new engravings and stuff. If I recall correctly, it's going to be formally publicized in a conference on Nov 30th or Dec 1st; this is just the hype leading up to the announcement.

13 posted on 11/29/2006 11:27:04 AM PST by Vroomfondel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: freedom44

In other words, 'twas the Greeks, not the Arabs, who really invented the astrolabe.


14 posted on 11/29/2006 11:27:20 AM PST by Vicomte13 (Aure entuluva.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lilylangtree

be gentle, Reuters is usually slow on the uptake.

(I think their reporters are "special" so be nice.)


15 posted on 11/29/2006 11:28:01 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

Okay, maybe I will ping it. ;') [blush]


16 posted on 11/29/2006 11:28:06 AM PST by SunkenCiv (I last updated my profile on Thursday, November 16, 2006 https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: camle
They also had automatic doors operated by hydraulics and water clocks and other clocks. I saw the recovered calculator (in a museum) but no one could tell what it was until the x-rays were developed that could distinguish the different gears inside.

There was a lot of development that was lost when the barbarians took over and Europe fell into the dark ages. Like flush toilets and showers and bathing facilities and concrete and building with iron reinforced concrete.
17 posted on 11/29/2006 11:28:46 AM PST by YOUGOTIT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: freedom44

It probably used that old fashioned red LED display. And I'll be the memory was severely limited.


18 posted on 11/29/2006 11:28:48 AM PST by RobRoy (Islam is a greater threat to the world today than Naziism was in 1937.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freedom44; dighton; martin_fierro; Echo Talon

Some of the geeks at slashdot actually have Linux running on this thing.


19 posted on 11/29/2006 11:29:03 AM PST by Petronski (BRABANTIO: Thou art a villain. IAGO: You are--a senator. ---Othello I.i.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freedom44

It also had a Lotto number generator, Tip calculator, and could played MP3's if you got the 2 GB expansion mikroSDRam


20 posted on 11/29/2006 11:29:22 AM PST by epluribus_2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-73 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson