How is the Antikythera mechanism similar or different to modern computer?

How is the mechanism similar or different to modern computers? The mechanism receives input, the input is processed, and output is produced. The mechanism automates an information processing task, and in this sense, it is similar to a modern computer. The mechanism is purpose-built to perform a set of specific tasks.

What was the purpose of the ancient Greek Antikythera mechanism that was discovered in a shipwreck?

The Antikythera mechanism (/ˌæntɪkɪˈθɪərə/ AN-tih-kih-THEER-ə) is an ancient Greek hand-powered orrery, described as the oldest example of an analogue computer used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance.

Was the Antikythera Mechanism a computer?

Antikythera mechanism is believed to be the world’s oldest computer. The mechanism has been described as an astronomical calculator as well as the world’s first analogue computer. It is made of bronze and includes dozens of gears.

Why is the Antikythera mechanism so important to us today?

Why is it so important? The Mechanism provides a unique window on history, allowing us to view the collected astronomical knowledge of the Ancient Greeks, and through them the knowledge of the Ancient Babylonians. In many ways the Mechanism provides us with an encyclopedia of the astronomical knowledge of the time.

Was the Antikythera mechanism a computer?

How did the Antikythera mechanism work?

The mechanism was operated by turning a small hand crank (now lost) which was linked via a crown gear to the largest gear, the four-spoked gear visible on the front of fragment A, the gear named b1. This moved the date pointer on the front dial, which would be set to the correct Egyptian calendar day.

Where was the Antikythera device found?

Greece
The Antikythera Mechanism has baffled experts since it was found on a Roman-era shipwreck in Greece in 1901. The hand-powered Ancient Greek device is thought to have been used to predict eclipses and other astronomical events.

How was the Antikythera found?

The wreck was discovered in the spring of 1900 by a group of Greek sponge divers on their way to Tunisia who took shelter from a storm near the island and decided to look for sponges while they waited for calmer conditions. One of the divers discovered the wreck at depths reported between 40 and 50 meters.

What did the Antikythera Mechanism keep track of?

9. The Antikythera mechanism was designed to monitor celestial events, seasons, and festivals. The mechanism tracked the lunar calendar, predicted eclipses, and charted the position and phase of the moon. It also tracked the seasons and ancient festivals like the Olympics.

What happened to the Antikythera mechanism?

More than 2,200 years after it sank beneath the waves, diving archaeologists have possibly found a missing piece of the Antikythera Mechanism, the fantastically complicated, advanced analog “computer” found in a shipwreck off a Greek island. Scanning shows the encrusted cogwheel to bear an image of Taurus the bull.

What was found on the Ancient Greek island of Antikythera?

This wreck of a Roman cargo ship was found at a depth of 45 metres (148 ft) off Point Glyphadia on the Greek island of Antikythera. The team retrieved numerous large artefacts, including bronze and marble statues, pottery, unique glassware, jewellery, coins, and the mechanism.

What happened to the first divers at Antikythera?

The first exploration of the wreck near Antikythera killed or injured three divers. In 1900, Greek sponge divers found the shipwreck, which was submerged nearly 150 feet, while wearing gear that was standard for the early 20th century—canvas suits and copper helmets.

Who discovered the Antikythera shipwreck?

Derek J. de Solla Price (1922–1983) with a model of the Antikythera mechanism Captain Dimitrios Kontos (Δημήτριος Κοντός) and a crew of sponge divers from Symi island discovered the Antikythera shipwreck during the spring of 1900, and recovered artefacts during the first expedition with the Hellenic Royal Navy, in 1900–01.