Ancient Computers - (Educational Inquiry)
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Middle Aged (35-54)Accents
North American (Canadian - West)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
in 1900 storm blew a boatload of sponge divers off course and forced them to take shelter by the tiny Mediterranean island of Antikythera diving. The next day, they discovered a 2000 year old Greek shipwreck. Among the ship's cargo they hauled up was an unimpressive green lump of corroded bronze. Rusted remnants of gear wheels could be seen on its surface, suggesting some kind of intricate mechanism. The first X ray studies confirmed that idea, but how it worked and what it was. Four puzzled scientists. For decades recently, high tech imaging has revealed the extraordinary truth. This unique clockwork machine was the world's first computer. An array of 30 intricate bronze gear wheels, originally housed in a shoebox sized wooden case, was designed to predict the dates of lunar and solar eclipses, track the moon's subtle motions through the sky and calculate the dates of significant events such as the Olympic Games. No device of comparable technological sophistication is known from anywhere in the world for at least another 1000 years. So who was the genius inventor behind it? And what happened to the advanced astronomical and engineering knowledge of its makers?