Decoding the Heavens: A 2000-year-old Computer and the Century-long Search to Discover Its Secrets - Hardcover

Marchant, Jo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 030681742X ISBN 13: 9780306817427

Publisher: Da Capo Press Inc, 2009

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author

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.

Edition details

• Publisher: Da Capo Press Inc
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 030681742X
• ISBN 13: 9780306817427
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336