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Decoding The Heavens: Solving The Mystery Of The World's First Computer
by
Jo Marchant
In 1900 a group of sponge divers blown off course in the Mediterranean discovered an Ancient Greek shipwreck dating from around 70 BC. Lying unnoticed for months amongst their hard-won haul was what appeared to be a formless lump of corroded rock, which turned out to be the most stunning scientific artefact we have from antiquity. For more than a century this 'Antikythera...more
Hardcover
Published
by Arrow Books Ltd.
(first published 2009)
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decoding the heavens recounts the discovery of the antikythera mechanism, arguably the most remarkable archaeological find in human history. a mechanical computer dating from the second century bce, it was recovered from an ancient mediterranean shipwreck by greek sponge divers in 1900 (after nearly 2,000 years of submersion). its function, however, would elude academics, researchers, computer scientists, and archaeologists for still another century.
whoever turned the handle on the side of its...more
Three encrusted bronze fragments collected from a wreck along the coast of Antikythera in 1900 by Greek sponge divers in a tiny boat, languished in a cardboard box in the National Archeological Museum in Athens for decades. The Antikythera mechanism may be the first analog computer, built about 80 BC. This predates clockwork mechanisms in wide public use by millennium, and challenges the long-held belief that such science originated in Europe. Its purity of design and build imply that it is not...more
This account of the scientific inquiries into a piece of ancient machinery dated to 60-70 BC reads a bit like a Dan Brown novel -- but the story is non-fiction. Drama builds right up to the end, when the magazine Nature published the results of the Antikythera Research Project in November, 2006.
Successive teams of competing researchers have added to knowledge of one of the first known astronomical computers:
* Originally recovered from a wreck off Antikythera Island in 1900, Derek J. de Solla Pr...more
Successive teams of competing researchers have added to knowledge of one of the first known astronomical computers:
* Originally recovered from a wreck off Antikythera Island in 1900, Derek J. de Solla Pr...more
Apr 01, 2013
Eddy Allen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arts-and-historical
The bronze fragments of an ancient Greek device have puzzled scholars for more than a century after they were recovered from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, where they had lain since about 80 BC. Now, using advanced imaging technology, scientists have solved the mystery of its intricate workings. Unmatched in complexity for a thousand years, the mechanism functioned as the world’s first analog computer, calculating the movements of the sun, moon, and planets through the zodiac. In Decoding...more
Top notch book that chronicles the discovery and decipherment of a device that proves to the modern world that assumptions about the low level of technical achievement in the ancient world are very wrong.
I first read about the Antikythera mechanism in an article written by Tony Freeth (who is profiled in the book). [I read the article in this anthology, but a PDF version, with all the illustrations, can easily be found online.]
After reading the article I looked online for everything I could abou...more
I first read about the Antikythera mechanism in an article written by Tony Freeth (who is profiled in the book). [I read the article in this anthology, but a PDF version, with all the illustrations, can easily be found online.]
After reading the article I looked online for everything I could abou...more
Definately an interesting book in what it contains rather than the book itself. The mechanism gives an insight into the possibilities that might have existed, and also totally changed the way that I saw the ancient world.
I, like most people used to tend to think of the ancient world as this place where the most advanced science and tech was a rather nice plumbing and heating system that we caught up to technologically in the 14th century. This book reminds us all that in reality, the ancients re...more
I, like most people used to tend to think of the ancient world as this place where the most advanced science and tech was a rather nice plumbing and heating system that we caught up to technologically in the 14th century. This book reminds us all that in reality, the ancients re...more
I'm probably not alone in having been fascinated by the Antikythera Mechanism from the moment I first learned of it. Merchant does an excellent job of detailing its discovery, its complexity, its "uniqueness" (nothing in the historical record matches its complexity and precision for the next 1000 years), the likely reason it's the only one to survive, its likely creator, and the team of obsessive and determined researchers who finally decoded its use.
Loved it!
Loved it!
This is a combination Roman-era history work, archaeological study, mathematical analysis, and detective novel, all rolled into one -- but written more engagingly than any book of history, archaeology, math or forensic analysis.
Marchant studies what is now known as the "Antikythera mechanism", a remarkable archaeological find dating back to 70-60BC. After more than a century of on-again, off-again study, scholars finally (in 2005) concluded that it is an extremely sophisticated astronomical comp...more
Marchant studies what is now known as the "Antikythera mechanism", a remarkable archaeological find dating back to 70-60BC. After more than a century of on-again, off-again study, scholars finally (in 2005) concluded that it is an extremely sophisticated astronomical comp...more
Absolutely fascinating story: an ancient Greek geared mechanism found in a shipwreck, and the struggle by various researchers to figure out what it was, working from a corroded and fragmented artifact. The writing is accessible and lively; at times a little too journalist-y for my tastes, but very readable. I now really want to go see the tower of the winds in Athens (as well as the Antikythera mechanism itself.)
This nonfiction work reads like a mystery story. In the 1930's sponge divers discover a 2000 year old wreck. They recover ancient bronzes and artifacts from this period. However one of the artifacts stands out over all the others.
In a wooden box, they find gears covered in deposits from their years under the ocean. Early investigations make clear that what they have found is something that experts did not think the ancient Greeks were capable of making.
The book describes how the work of severa...more
In a wooden box, they find gears covered in deposits from their years under the ocean. Early investigations make clear that what they have found is something that experts did not think the ancient Greeks were capable of making.
The book describes how the work of severa...more
A fascinating book. It describes the quest to understand the antikythera device, (an ancient Greek mechanism, fragments of which were recovered from a shipwreck early in the 20th century). While it can be dry in spots, it's still a fast, interesting read. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in history, scientific mechanisms, or gadgets.
The tale of a sequence of investigators all trying to determine the purpose of a unique bronze artifact recovered from a shipwreck many decades ago.
It was fascinating to me to see how insightful so many individuals were with the limited information available to them, and the distinct ways in which they got details wrong.
It was fascinating to me to see how insightful so many individuals were with the limited information available to them, and the distinct ways in which they got details wrong.
I've seen this device discussed in numerous sources over the years, usually in those out-there aliens built the pyramids books & tv shows (of which, I admit, I am a voracious reader/watcher). This book lives up to its promise of providing a seemingly solid solution to this fragmentary technological marvel. The first part of the book, describing how the device was unwittingly recovered from an ancient shipwreck, by sponge divers using primitive scuba equipment, and also raising a trove of mar...more
Sep 12, 2010
MikeFromQueens
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
women-writers
Yes - remarkable facts revealed in this easy-to-read description of solving the riddle of ancient engineering. Our ancestors are more brilliant than we can imagine, and we are less for being unable to do and know the things they accomplished. Another example of the ash-heap of history, and a treasure discovered.
Another of my bargain dollar books, I was expecting more of a "aliens" and "Nostradamus" style book. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was really a history of how history is written, and my inner (and outer) historian was greatly pleased.
I'm not a mathematician by any means, so a lot of it was a bit of complicated discussions that I really tried hard to understand. Ultimately, the determination of what the device did wasn't as important to the enjoyment of the book as the interesting look at...more
I'm not a mathematician by any means, so a lot of it was a bit of complicated discussions that I really tried hard to understand. Ultimately, the determination of what the device did wasn't as important to the enjoyment of the book as the interesting look at...more
Aussergewöhnlich spritzig und packend geschriebener Tatsachenbericht.
1901 (!) wurde von Schwammtauchern vor der Küste der griechischen Insel Antikythera ein unscheinbarer, rätselhafter, und nur noch in Bruchstücken erhaltener Apparat gefunden.
Dieser Antikythera-Mechanismus wurde nun studiert und analysiert. Es handelt sich dabei um einen ca. 40cm großen, mechanischen Computer, der die Bewegung der Himmelskörper umfassend und präzise anzeigte.
Die Story liest sich wie ein typischer und allzu phant...more
1901 (!) wurde von Schwammtauchern vor der Küste der griechischen Insel Antikythera ein unscheinbarer, rätselhafter, und nur noch in Bruchstücken erhaltener Apparat gefunden.
Dieser Antikythera-Mechanismus wurde nun studiert und analysiert. Es handelt sich dabei um einen ca. 40cm großen, mechanischen Computer, der die Bewegung der Himmelskörper umfassend und präzise anzeigte.
Die Story liest sich wie ein typischer und allzu phant...more
Changes your perception of the ancient world, technology and what might have been. A lump of bronze that could have easily been lost or ignored, had to wait until sophisticated 3D X-ray technology could help tell the story of the earliest computer.
I was quite pleasantly surprised with this book. I was honestly expecting something drab, dull, dry, and other d-describing words. What I found was something that was particularly fun to read, that made it into a story, full of interesting and fun characters.
I can't help but feel that perhaps Marchant was blatantly on the side of Wright, while demonising the others who tried to investigate the device. That was jut a feeling I got as I was reading it.
Also, I found the last chapter, surprisingly,...more
I can't help but feel that perhaps Marchant was blatantly on the side of Wright, while demonising the others who tried to investigate the device. That was jut a feeling I got as I was reading it.
Also, I found the last chapter, surprisingly,...more
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Fascinating account of the discovery of the Antikythera mechanism discovered by Greek sponge divers in early 1900s. This "computer" dates back to something like 70-60BC!
I loved this book - a mixture of intrigue, history and mechanics with wholly believable scientific internal politics. Very interesting and well written.
Saw the mechanism in athens- went to the author discussion at the Getty villa- had to read the book. Must be one of the.most interesting objects in the world!
fascinating read, marred only by some jarring stylistic idiosyncrasies. By all means, go and read it!
This book was a fascinating tale of an ancient Greek wonder. This artifact had piqued my interest and I hope one day I am able to see it for myself. I really enjoyed this book!
Who knew ancient people were intelligent, industrious and technologically inclined?
I actually finished this months ago. It is the story of the Antikythera mechanism and it has totally altered the way I think of the Greek world. I wish someone would make this into a movie like The Red Violin, following the mechanism from the moment of its making, going into the depths on an ill-fated ship, serendipitously found by divers who went off course in a storm, boxed and forgotten and rediscovered. It really is an incredible story, and I love that in reading it one learns about so many...more
A Roman shipwreck off the coast of Greece yields a corroded metal object that sits in a drawer for 50 years before it begins to be intensively studied. Just an amazing examination of the unique treasure. It speaks to the genius living 2,000 years ago. The book bogs down a bit just because I didn't want to read the extensive discussions of the technical aspects into the object's development. However, the lives of the people researching the object are very interesting, and their dedication to solv...more
Fantastic read
Intresting and very Well written. Kept me intrested all along and uncovers a lot of information of ancient times.
Fascinating narrative with some technical bits.
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JO MARCHANT is an award-winning journalist who specializes in writing about cutting-edge science. She has worked as a staff reporter and editor for Nature and New Scientist, where she is currently a consultant. She lives in London.
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