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The Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient device that served as inspiration for the ‘Dial of Destiny’ in the Indiana Jones movie, continues to fascinate researchers. This ancient astronomical calculator, dating back over 2,000 years, is often hailed as the world’s oldest analog computer, but a new theory suggests a different purpose for the intricate device.
The Enigmatic Antikythera Mechanism
The mysterious ancient Greek device is generally considered the oldest computer in history. Some scientists describe it as the most complex piece of engineering to have survived from the ancient world. Others suggest it was a hand-operated mechanical device employed to forecast the positions of celestial bodies like the sun, moon, and planets.
A Toy or a Tool?
Such is its level of sophistication that alien enthusiasts have even made wild suggestions that it could be evidence of extraterrestrials passing on knowledge to ancient human civilisations. New research, however, presents an alternative hypothesis.
Researchers from the National University of Mar del Plata in Argentina now propose that the Antikythera Mechanism may have been more of a sophisticated toy than a fully functional computer.
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A fragment of the 2,100-year-old Antikythera Mechanism, believed to be the earliest surviving mechanical computing device
The device was the inspiration for the Archimedes Dial in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, starring Harrison Ford and Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. This fictionalised version of the Antikythera Mechanism predicts the location of naturally occurring fissures in time, allowing the travelers to travel back in time
Discovery and Debate
In 1901, sponge divers discovered this mechanical marvel among the wreckage of a sunken ship off the coast of Antikythera, a Greek island. The bronze artifact was dated to the late second or early first century BC, sparking intense debate within the scientific community about its true function.
The shoebox-sized device was found fragmented and corroded, contributing to the uncertainty and outlandish theories surrounding its original purpose. The uniqueness of the discovery has even led some to speculate about an extraterrestrial origin.
However, the prevailing consensus, backed by decades of study, suggests that the Antikythera Mechanism served as a type of hand-cranked mechanical computer. Comprising up to 40 bronze cogs and gears, it purportedly enabled ancient Greeks to predict the movements of stars and planets with remarkable precision.
Users would rotate a now-missing hand crank, driving an intricate system of internal cogs and gears. Pointers on the front face indicated the positions of the sun and moon, along with a display showing the moon’s phase.
A 3D image showing how the back gears of the Antikythera Mechanism would have looked like
Fragments of the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient Greek analog computer that is believed to be used to help teach Greeks about our place in the cosmos
Simulation Reveals Potential Flaws
For their recent study, scientists at the National University of Mar del Plata constructed a computer simulation of the Antikythera Mechanism. They specifically examined the triangular interlocking “teeth” of the gears, which are considered crucial for the device’s operation.
Their findings suggest that manufacturing defects would have frequently caused the device to seize, rendering it unusable. The team posits that such jamming, resulting from the crank’s rotation, would have made the device impractical for any scientific application.
According to their analysis, ‘manufacturing inaccuracies significantly increase the likelihood of gear jamming or disengagement,’ given the device’s structural design.
Moreover, the triangular tooth shape ‘results in non-uniform motion, causing acceleration and deceleration as each tooth engages’.
A Child’s Toy?
The researchers conclude that the Antikythera Mechanism’s frequent jamming might indicate it was a mere toy, albeit a cleverly designed one, potentially intended for a child.
However, they acknowledge the considerable time, effort, and craftsmanship required to produce the device.
In particular, they looked at the gears’ triangular interlocking ‘teeth’, said to be integral to the mechanism’s operation
‘It seems unlikely that someone would build such a complex yet non-functional device,’ the team stated.
It is important to note that only about one-third of the Antikythera Mechanism has survived, implying that essential components are likely missing. Consequently, the device might have been more reliably constructed than the simulation suggests. The researchers emphasize that their ‘results must be interpreted with caution’.
Regardless, the team advocates for ‘more refined techniques to better understand the true accuracy and functionality of the Antikythera Mechanism‘.
Previously, British astrophysicist Mike Edmunds surmised that the primary intent of the Antikythera Mechanism was more for educational demonstration than for precise astronomical forecasting.
The research team concurs, stating: ‘Under our assumptions, the errors pinpointed by Edmunds surpass the permissible limits necessary to prevent failures.’ The study is currently available on the preprint server arXiv, and is pending peer review.