The Antikythera Mechanism/Update

Digital recreation of the Antikythera Mechanism. Image: UCL

BRT did a piece on the Antikythera Mechanism back in 2019 stating said device was 2000 years ahead of its time. Seems yours truly was right based on new findings of this truly amazing tech not replicated in precision or complexity until well into the 18th century. 

By building a digital model of the Antikythera Mechanism, scientists may have finally exposed a key function of the ancient device, revealing a design that required some seriously advanced thinking.

Only a third of the Antikythera Mechanism was recovered, and nothing like it exists for comparison. The incomplete relic, with its 30 bronze gears and 82 individual fragments, has forced scientists to speculate as to what it looked like, what it was used for, and how it worked.

“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,” wrote the authors, which included mechanical engineer Adam Wojcik, also from UCL.

Indeed, the ancient Babylonians chronicled the motions of the planets, while the ancient Greek philosopher Parmenides developed a mathematical model to explain these movements.

Read Gizmoto's detailed piece to see why this artifact was the product of genius engineers.

Click on the graphic to go to the video showing how the mechanism works.

Click here for the research paper on the system.