Decoding the Heavens
A 2000-year-old Computer and the Century-long Search to Discover Its Secrets
Seiten
2009
Da Capo Press Inc (Verlag)
978-0-306-81742-7 (ISBN)
Da Capo Press Inc (Verlag)
978-0-306-81742-7 (ISBN)
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The surprising story behind the 2,000-year-old Antikythera mechanism that challenges our assumptions about what ancient scientists knew, and the technological equipment they used to understand their world
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 worlds first analog computer, calculating the movements of the sun, moon, and planets through the zodiac. In Decoding the Heavens, Jo Marchant details for the first time the hundred-year quest to decode this ancient computer. Along the way she unearths a diverse cast of remarkable characters-ranging from Archimedes to Jacques Cousteau-and explores the deep roots of modern technology, not only in ancient Greece, but in the Islamic world and medieval Europe. At its heart, this is an epic adventure story, a book that challenges our assumptions about technology development through the ages while giving us fresh insights into history itself.
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 worlds first analog computer, calculating the movements of the sun, moon, and planets through the zodiac. In Decoding the Heavens, Jo Marchant details for the first time the hundred-year quest to decode this ancient computer. Along the way she unearths a diverse cast of remarkable characters-ranging from Archimedes to Jacques Cousteau-and explores the deep roots of modern technology, not only in ancient Greece, but in the Islamic world and medieval Europe. At its heart, this is an epic adventure story, a book that challenges our assumptions about technology development through the ages while giving us fresh insights into history itself.
Jo Marchant is a former editor for Nature magazine and the current editor for New Scientist . She traveled to Athens to research the Antikythera fragments, interviewing most of the people involved in the project. She lives in London.
Erscheint lt. Verlag | 1.3.2009 |
---|---|
Zusatzinfo | H |
Sprache | englisch |
Maße | 140 x 210 mm |
Themenwelt | Geschichte ► Allgemeine Geschichte ► Vor- und Frühgeschichte |
Geschichte ► Hilfswissenschaften ► Chronologie | |
Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Astronomie / Astrophysik | |
ISBN-10 | 0-306-81742-X / 030681742X |
ISBN-13 | 978-0-306-81742-7 / 9780306817427 |
Zustand | Neuware |
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