Antikythera mechanism
Antikythera mechanism 100–150 BC is the first known computer is over 2000 years old and is probably a copy or descendant of even older devices. It is the first known analog computer.
Picture (courtesy of Wikipedia, Antikythera mechanism - Wikipedia): The Antikythera mechanism (Fragment A – front); visible is the largest gear in the mechanism, approximately 140 millimetres (5.5 in) in diameter.
Two above pictures represent the visualisations of a reconstruction of the original mechanism (https://www.google.cz/search?q=a... )
Antikythera mechanism was used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. It tracked four-year cycle of athletic games, not necessarily the Olympic ones. The artefact was found on May 17, 1901 in the ship wreck at the Greek island Antikythera.
The construction of the mechanism itself is suspectedly based on much older knowledge covered in Alexandrian library. The knowledge of the construction of such mechanisms was lost untill 14th century in Europe where astronomical clocks started to be build.
Picture: The famous astronomical clock located at the old Town Hall on Staroměstské náměstí in Prague (Old Town Hall in Prague).
Our current civilization is proud of its achievements but not many people are aware of the fact that people were capable to build computers thousands years before us.
Let us be honest to ourselves, how many of us is capable to construct an analog computer today? Such mechanisms is really an excellent example that all times should not be underestimated.
Further reading Antikythera mechanism - Wikipedia
As the opposite example let us mention the French academy of sciences of 19th century and its infamous decision!
It is an excellent example of a highly underestimated level of our understanding of the natural process.
French academy of sciences voted in the end 19th century that everything in physics is already discovered & solved. To the surprise of all, this decision didn't last long. It was nicely followed by discoveries of radioactivity 1896, atomic structure, and theories of quantum mechanics, special & general relativity, etc.
(The search for the official documents about the above-mentioned statement was unsuccessful.)
There is a big admiration towards our ancestors sitting within me. They did great things and we still do not understand all what they understood.
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