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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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 Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:33 am Post subject: 1 |
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Mysteries of the ancient Antikythera Mechanism revealed
It's an impressive clock, but it's a clock none the less. It's sole purpose is to chart the progression of heavenly bodies based on time. "Analog computer" my ass, it's a solar clock. (And no, that does not mean it's a sun dial.)
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raekuul
Lives under a bridge & tells stories.
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:09 pm Post subject: 2 |
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| A 365-day clock, or an early sky-map? |
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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:43 pm Post subject: 3 |
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Far more than 365 days, if it measured the positions of all the known heavenly bodies of the time. But that doesn't change the fact that it's basic function is that of a clock. It does nothing but track position over time. It's no different than a hour/minute/second hand. I mean, you could build a traditional clock that also included hands for the day of week, day of month (might be the hardest one to do though), month of year, day of year, year of decade, etc. etc. etc. hands. Still makes it a clock (with a touch of calender).
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Lepton*
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 4:29 am Post subject: 4 |
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| I don't think that diminishes the craftsmanship that went into the device. It was millenia ahead of its time, imho. |
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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 11:26 am Post subject: 5 |
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Not saying it did, Lepton*. The device was surely a work of a master engineer and craftsman. It was centuries before similar clockwork devices were built (that we know of).
It's a damn good clock. Still a clock and not a computer though.
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jadesmar
Bad Puppy
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:42 pm Post subject: 6 |
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| Death Mage wrote: |
Not saying it did, Lepton*. The device was surely a work of a master engineer and craftsman. It was centuries before similar clockwork devices were built (that we know of).
It's a damn good clock. Still a clock and not a computer though. |
Well, the part they found was only a clock.
But, my computer has a clock.
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Quailman
His Postmajesty
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:22 pm Post subject: 7 |
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| Dcitionary.com wrote: |
analog computer –noun
a computer that represents data by measurable quantities, as voltages or, formerly, the rotation of gears, in order to solve a problem, rather than by expressing the data as numbers. |
It seems to meet that definition. |
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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:53 am Post subject: 8 |
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| Quote: |
| a computer that represents data by measurable quantities, as voltages or, formerly, the rotation of gears, in order to solve a problem, rather than by expressing the data as numbers. |
No, it doesn't.
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Courk
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 4:22 pm Post subject: 9 |
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| Is it just the way I'm reading things, or does it seem like this thread has a tone that's disappointed with the Greeks or Romans for not building a computer, as if they should have built one instead of wasting their time
(Hah!)
on a clock? |
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Death Mage
Raving Lunatic
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| Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:14 pm Post subject: 10 |
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How many times do I have to say the same thing before people get it?
The clock in question is a masterpiece. It's the people who've tried to define it as a "analog computer" that I think are the nimrods.
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* These senseless ramblings brought to you by Insanity™. If you just can't figure the dang thing out, it must be Insanity™.
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GH
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:52 pm Post subject: 11 |
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| I know you're not interested in being wrong, Death Mage, but the prediction of lunar eclipses (and the position of heavenly bodies in general) certainly seems like a problem solved by this device. I'd think there was enough room to call it a "computer," but I admit it seems like quite a stretch. |
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Coyote*
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:22 am Post subject: 12 |
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| It's not really a computer unless is can create more problems than it solves. |
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Courk*
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 5:02 pm Post subject: 13 |
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| Death Mage wrote: |
How many times do I have to say the same thing before people get it?
The clock in question is a masterpiece. It's the people who've tried to define it as a "analog computer" that I think are the nimrods. |
I get that. I just find it amusing that the thread can also be read as "They made a clock? What were they thinking?" |
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Courk
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 5:10 pm Post subject: 14 |
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Coyote, is it a computer now?
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Coyote*
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:03 am Post subject: 15 |
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| No, actually that's simply a graphic illustration of the old saying "From the sublime to the ridiculous..." |
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Courk
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 5:55 am Post subject: 16 |
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| I've not heard that before and I'm not entirely sure what it means. I have a vague sense that I might have just been insulted, but if so, I was insulted by Coyote, which somehow makes it OK. |
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worm
unregistered
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| Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:53 am Post subject: 17 |
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i don't think it was an insult...the fact that the pic with the paper clip guy is ridiculous doesn't detract from the quality of your post...it was great in a ridiculous way...which takes a cleverness of its own.
btw, that paper clip guy popped up at the end of a seminar i was attending and it ws all i could do to keep my laughter quiet...anything's a step away from ridiculous with that guy. |
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Courk
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:20 am Post subject: 18 |
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| doesn't detract from the quality of your post |
I guess you can't take anything from nothing. |
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wordcross
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:18 am Post subject: 19 |
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reminds me of this little gem:
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Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like? |
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Beartalon
'Party line' kind of guy
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:59 pm Post subject: 20 |
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computer - a person or object that computes.
compute - to determine by mathematics
analog computer - A computer in which numerical data are represented by measurable physical variables, such as electrical voltage
So why can't a clock with measureable gears and interaction of numerically based components in measureable rhythm and cycles be an "analog computer" when measuring/predicting/computing the position of celestial bodies? |
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ShadowSword
Busted!
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