A '2000-year-old computer' was part of a Greek shipwreck. Here's how it worked
Image of Antikythera mechanism, also known as the "the first computer”.
Scientists have been trying to decode a baffling discovery of a 2,000-year-old “computer” found in a Greek shipwreck, which is interestingly very complex.
The astronomical calendar, known as the Antikythera mechanism, has been called "the first computer” and has left scientists baffled after it was found in the shipwreck in 1901.
How was the first computer used?
The 'first computer' is a hand-powered time-keeping instrument which uses a wing-up system for tracking the celestial time of the moon, planets and the Sun.
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The machine also worked like a calendar and tracked the timing of eclipses and the phases of the Moon.
Even though the mechanism sounds relatively simple, it was ahead of its time and more technically sophisticated in comparison to other tools invented over the next 1,000 years.
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In the current state, the mechanism is in 82 separate fragments and just a third of its original structure remains, which includes 30 corroded bronze gearwheels.
How did researchers decode the working of the first computer?
The experts at University College London carried out the research into the device, which included 3D computer modelling, and helped them understand how the device worked while revealing that it is a “creation of genius”.
Speaking about the research, Adam Wojcik, a materials scientist, said, “We believe that our reconstruction fits all the evidence that scientists have gleaned from the extant remains to date.”
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It was understood how the device tracked the movement of the sun, moon and planets across concentric rings since the ancient Greeks thought that the sun and planets were revolving around Earth and not the sun.
Speaking to Scientific Reports, the researchers said, “Solving this complex 3D puzzle reveals a creation of genius—combining cycles from Babylonian astronomy, mathematics from Plato’s Academy and ancient Greek astronomical theories.”
(With inputs from agencies)