2000 year old computer built with Legos

[Nolan]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/213249/ancient_greek_computer_gets_rebuilt_using_lego.html

 

2000 years ago the Greeks built a device designed to calculate the motion of celestial bodies, a computer now called the Antikythera mechanism. Lost for centuries at the bottom of the ocean, it was pulled up in 1901 and has baffled scientists until recently. This year, designer Andrew Carol built the first working copy of the computer out of Lego bricks, the New Scientist reports.

 

The Antikythera mechanism is ridiculously complex for what is arguably the first computer ever built. The sequence of intricate gears can accurately display eclipses of heavenly bodies, and the LEGO replica works just as the original did (as best as we can figure, since it was a wood and gears machine lying underwater for centuries). High resolution X-ray tomography (which is imaging by sectioning through the use of any kind of penetrating wave) was used in the determination of the machine’s function

 

The skill and understanding of the cosmos required to build something this complex never fails to astound me. It seems a worthy tribute to that ingenuity to replicate in every detail such a wonder out of LEGO, the building blocks of awesome. It was built with LEGO Technic parts, and I’ll be honest: I don’t remember building anything as sophisticated as the bucket loader shown on their website, let alone a 2000-year-old Greek astrological computer.

 

Our hats are collectively off to Andrew Carol for building it, and to Adam Rutherford, the journalist who put the project under his nose.

 

Absolutely completely fucking amazing. That the Greeks did this 2000 years ago, that different gearboxes do all the calculation, and that Legos really can do anything.

 

Rez, I fully expect you to build this now.

[Sméagol]

Haha, I was just thinking, "not everyone checks Engadget, but there's some great stuff there! But I can't be arsed to start a thread about every little video.."

 

Watching that video was litterally the last thing I did before seeing this thread about it. It's awesome. Something to look forward to in 2024.

[The Peeps]

That is pretty amazing

[Jonnas]

Amazing is saying little

[Ramar]

Whats a Legos?

[Cube]

Whats a Legos?

 

I presume it's how Americans say the plural of LEGO. I suppose they also say "sheeps".

[Nolan]

I presume it's how Americans say the plural of LEGO. I suppose they also say "sheeps".

 

Sometimes.:wink:

[Jonnas]

I presume it's how Americans say the plural of LEGO. I suppose they also say "sheeps".

 

(Legos is an accepted plural form in some other languages as well. But this is getting off-topic)

[Jimbob]

That has to be one awesome and amazing device, good for the guy(s) who built it.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

Pure awesome! I think I remember reading about that "computer", but they didn't actually know then what its purpose was if I recall correctly.

[ReZourceman]

Rez, I fully expect you to build this now.

 

But I only want to build pretty space ships.

 

 

That is just insanely impressive.