• SokathHisEyesOpen
    link
    fedilink
    English
    27 months ago

    That’s really neat. I don’t know that “computer” is the right term for an astronomy tracker, but it’s still an amazing find. How were they able to craft with such precision in an era without electricity, mills, lathes, micrometers, and all the common tools of the machinist?

    • @jadero
      link
      27 months ago

      Never underestimate the power of obsession. I would not be the least bit surprised to learn that right now, as I write this, there is someone out there making their 4327th attempt to engrave “The Lord’s Prayer” into a watermelon seed using a handheld sewing needle. And it’s probably in an illuminated Gothic script.

    • @fossilesqueOPM
      link
      English
      17 months ago

      The earth is an observable system of systems, and even back then, people were just as smart as us and perhaps a little more connected to those rhythms and cycles in their daily lives. Many cultures built physical representations of these things, like Stonehenge, but a surviving portable one is a marvel. I often wonder what was the first of such portable devices, as the complexity of this one shows that there may be a few generations of ideas.

      • SokathHisEyesOpen
        link
        fedilink
        English
        1
        edit-2
        7 months ago

        There’s a huge difference between Stonehenge and a clock gear. The latter requires a level of precision that I didn’t know they could achieve back then. It’s not a matter of intelligence, it’s a matter of technology. This timepiece is an impressive achievement.

        • @fossilesqueOPM
          link
          English
          17 months ago

          That is what I am saying. :)