I've been fascinated by the Antikithera Mechanism for years. What is it? No-one is quite sure, but it's cetainly one of the most incredible discoveries of all time.
Basically it's a mechanical computer. The amazing thing about it is that it was probably built about 150–100 BC. and it is utterly unique; there are no known earlier examples of a similar technology and artifacts of such complexity did not reappear until the 14th century, when mechanical astronomical clocks appeared in Europe. Which obviously means aliens made it. Only kidding.
The device is remarkable for the level of miniaturization and for the complexity of its parts, which is comparable to that of 18th century clocks. It has over 30 gears, although Michael Wright...has suggested as many as 72 gears, with teeth formed through equilateral triangles. When a date was entered via a crank (now lost), the mechanism calculated the position of the Sun, Moon, or other astronomical information such as the location of other planets.
When you consider that the planets move in Apparent Retrograde Motion (apparently backwards as well as forwards) you begin to appreciate what a sophisticated device this is. It even predicted eclipses, and it comes with instructions!
The mechanism had door plates attached to it that contain at least 2,000 characters, forming what members of the Antikythera mechanism research project often refer to as an instruction manual for the mechanism.
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