No. The device is obsolete.
It's not that we couldn't learn anything at all from studying their design, but our computers today do what it would have done, except so much more accurately, so there's no practical point in replication.
"Clay tablets reveal Babylonians discovered astronomical geometry 1,400 years before Europeans"
- Thread starter SPCTRE
- Start date
It's not that we couldn't learn anything at all from studying their design, but our computers today do what it would have done, except so much more accurately, so there's no practical point in replication.
Exactly, replication would only be of any value as historical research.
I guess but I'd love to see a working mechanical computer. It would be fascinating to watch.
Here's the US Navy at your service.
After that, you can better appreciate this.
Last edited:
Why use a rigged sail ship? "Because it was freedom on the open seas, man and sail against nature and at times against man." This is something that most woman would not know about. Not being disrespectful, but women were generally not sea captains back then and would regard any such association as terrible because woman didn't enjoy the same illustrious grandiosity that men did.
Oh, but of course you are.
Your thinly-veiled sexism isn't amusing anybody here. Assuming today's women understand the urge to explore any less than today's men just because our sea-faring ancestors were mostly men is completely absurd.
Or did you spend your youth talking to your grand-dad Vasco da Gama?
I suggest you don't bring sexism into completely unrelated topics because fellow members and mods might see that as trolling and baiting.
I grew up in Venice so at this point I might as well claim that people who live in regular mainland cities do not understand the sea. I am also half-siren but I don't usually tell men that ahead of time.
You mean judging from traditional pre-1950s male-written historiography?
I invite you to think about illustrious male grandiosity some more (in silence). Don't let this picture of Samantha Cristoforetti enjoying a zero-G cup of espresso distract you too much.
So do mechanical computers.
Still common in Asia,
https://www.google.com/search?q=aba...B&biw=1595&bih=912#tbm=isch&q=japanese+abacus
That aside, you're missing the point as to why that analogy was used about as widely as Dryson did. It had been in response to how wonderful mechanical computers were back here. "Clay tablets reveal Babylonians discovered astronomical geometry 1,400 years before Europeans"
I wouldn't put the antikythera device in the same category as an abacus. An abacus is easy to build and has multiple uses. The AK device as far as has been determined was limited in use and fairly difficult to build. It's a beautiful piece of engineering when you take into account the age of the device, but no longer a practical technology compared to the ongoing use of sails.
Of course, one can always find some instance where an old technology is better for a job than current technology.
Of course, one can always find some instance where an old technology is better for a job than current technology.