Via the IAI:
‘Astronomy Ireland are holding their monthly lecture on the 13th of September on the subject of the Antikythera Mechanism in Trinity College, Dublin. We are flying in Prof. Michael Edmunds from the UK who is one of the leading researchers on this ancient super-computer to talk to us.
The Two Thousand Year Old Computer
How ancient Greeks predicted the future
We don’t know who made it, but the fiendishly complex Antikythera Mechanism has puzzled historians and astronomers for centuries since its discovery in the 1900s. Dated to as far back as the first century B.C., this device originating from Greece, is one of the most complex assembly of meshed cogs and wheels that was used to predict the movement of various solar objects known at the time including the Moon and planets, as well as predicting lunar eclipses and the dates of the Ancient Olympics. On Monday, September 13th, Professor Mike Edmunds will try to unlock its many mysteries, from its enigmatic of origins to its unlikeliest of fates.
This ancient computer was chanced upon at the wreckage of a Roman vessel off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901, and has ever since fascinated scientists and historians alike due to its complexity and accuracy. The research on the device is led by Prof Mike Edmunds and his team who peered inside this crusty device, and suggested that it was used to follow the movement of the Moon and Sun through the Zodiac, as well as the planets that were known at the time, namely Jupiter and Mars. No other civilisation is believed to have created anything this complex for another 1000 years.
Over the course of the lecture, Prof Edmunds will discuss:
• The origins and history of the Antikythera Mechanism
• What this ancient supercomputer was used for
• What it tells us about astronomy during that time period
For more information or to book tickets please visitwww.astronomy.ie or by calling (01) 847 0777.
Further Information
The Antikythera Mechanism Lecture will be available on DVD for those who cannot attend.
· Date: Monday, September 13th
· Venue: Fitzgerald Building, Trinity College Dublin
· Time: 8pm
· Tickets: €7 (€5 concession)
Book tickets and order DVDs at www.astronomy.ie
 |