Apple engineer re-creates Greek computer with LEGOs
It's fitting that an Apple software engineer would re-create what's possibly the world's oldest-known computer ... by using LEGOs. Andrew Carol used around 1,500 LEGOs to re-create the Antikythera mechanism, a machine that ancient Greeks used to foretell celestial events. He made four gearboxes with 110 gears total, and when fed data, the machine will tell you when the next solar eclipse will occur. It's a beautiful and ingenious machine, and worth checking out the YouTube video. Maybe Carol's next project will be taking on the Mayans. You can watch a video of the device in action after the break.
[Via Engadget]
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It's fitting that an Apple software engineer would re-create what's possibly the world's oldest-known computer ... by using LEGOs. Andrew...
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What an awesome score.
December 11 2010 at 2:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAm I the only one wondering if there will be an official lego kit to make one of these? I'd be quite happy to buy that set. ^_~
December 10 2010 at 1:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyFuture generations will be as amazed as we of the Antikythera when they happen upon a 2000 year old iPad. They'll marvel at our cleverness and agree that we weren't as primitive as many thought we were.
December 10 2010 at 12:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAn iPad probably won't even exist 2000 years from now. We talk about how ignorant these civilizations were and how stupid and primitive they were, but really it's we who are challenged in the head. All this talk about "the cloud" and how that's the future of technology, NO! Cold hard writing on paper and stone is what will survive the ages. Our future generations will probably know less about us than we do the ancient Greeks and mesopotamians. It's a scary though, but true!
December 10 2010 at 1:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply@ngmo.jp
In the year 4010, I'm pretty confident mankind will have devised a method to tangibly reassemble our history. They'll do so with such embarrassing resolution, that we'll look more primitive today than our ancient Mediterranean ancestors.
What you guys are morons, lego, legos, who gives a dam, that machine and what people are doing with those plastic things is incredible, and you talk about the name....losers.
December 10 2010 at 12:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply1. It's "damn", not "dam".
2. Regardless of your spouting, it will always be "Lego".
3. That is all.
4. For now.
Excellent! You can never have too much LEGO.
December 10 2010 at 10:51 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHa! I was going to say the same thing, and not to be a jerk, but because a website dedicated to Apple products can appreciate the concept of calling things what they are. Now I'm off to sync my iTouch to my MAC computer, specifically an Imac.
December 10 2010 at 9:25 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIs that running OS/X?
December 10 2010 at 10:19 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIt's Lego or Lego bricks, not Legos!
December 10 2010 at 9:09 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyCompletly agree, every time I hear (or read) the term Legos it really annoys me, I don't know why, I don't really care about grammer etc usually. Maybe it's due to the fondness I have (and don't we all) for Lego.
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