This is just awesome. The chap who did the lego difference engine has now built a fully functioning replica of the Antikythera Device - The Ancient Greek astronomical computer. http://acarol.woz.org/antikythera_mechanism.html Is there nothing that Technical Lego can't do?
The "Antikythera mechanism" sounds like something from Mass Effect. Totally awesome though, mindboggling to think that it was made 2200 years ago.
Isn't it just. I've been watching a programme on BBC2 called Ancient Worlds. They've done an episode on the Greeks, and mention the device and Hero's steam engine. They then speculated what would have happened if Hero had realised what he had, and not just thought it a toy... We could have had the industrial revolution 2000 years before it happened for real. Just think where we'd be know. Probably still waiting for our flying cars, but it's interesting to wonder how far forward technology would be.
I think we would be alot further foward technology wise in life if the silly christians hadn't come along and started repressing everything.
Help, Help! I'm being Repressed! BTW - If you want to know more about the device, I can highly recommend Jo Marchent's book, Decoding the Heavens.
There's an article about Andrew Carol and his technical lego creations on New Scientist: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19848-toydeforce-inside-the-steampunk-lego-lab.html?page=1 You need to register to read the piece - but it's free (and gives you access to everything on the site) I have got to see his next project - Lego AI!
Pretty cool. Just visited a mate whose dad is one of the leading researchers on the Antikythera Device