Thursday, 18 December 2008

2,000-year-old 'computer' rebuilt:

A new working model of the mysterious 2,100-year-old astronomical calculator/computer, known as the Antikythera Device, has been unveiled.

The device, pieces of which were found in a shipwreck a century ago, is often described as the world's first computer, although it is seen by many experts as the first calculator because while it can add, subtract and multiply, it cannot program.

The new Antikythera Device has been demonstrated by creator Michael Wright, who had previously demonstrated an earlier version of the device (video below).

The updated details and precision of the new model are based on ongoing research by the The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project. This is a joint effort by researchers from Greece and the UK.