Time-Slip Artifacts: Modern Objects in the Ancient World - Volume 1

The Antikythera mechanism deserves a dedicated episode all to itself.

In modern times, an attempt to replicate this ancient device hit a major snag when an unusual number appeared on one of the gears—a "half" number, to be precise.

After much deliberation and numerous mathematical computations, it was discovered that this half number was crucial for accurately timing the moon's rotations and predicting eclipses.

The secret lay in a tiny switch within the mechanism that instructed another gear to rotate at a different rate, slowing it down to achieve the exact half-tooth needed.

How do you make half a tooth on a gear? The ancients knew long before we did.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gaza Hospital Hit Twice, Journalists Among Dozens Killed

Image
A hospital in southern Gaza was struck  twice in what witnesses call a “double-tap” attack.  The first strike hit the upper levels of Nasser Hospital.  Just minutes later, a second strike targeted rescuers and journalists who had rushed to help the wounded. At least 20 people were killed, including five journalists. The timing of the second strike raises questions that go beyond the battlefield. A “double-tap” attack—hitting once, then striking again when rescuers and journalists gather— is widely seen as a tactic meant to maximize fear, silence witnesses, and discourage reporting . That is why press freedom groups are treating this not just as a tragic mistake but as a possible deliberate message.  Killing journalists on live coverage ensures fewer independent voices can document what is happening on the ground , leaving only official narratives to control the story. In conflicts where information is as powerful as weapons, the destruction of cameras and reporters...
Read more

Holocaust survivor says this is worse. Let that sink in.

Image
Holocaust survivor says this is worse. Let that sink in. The One Video Israel Doesn't Want You To See What is happening in Gaza is a holocaust. The Israeli government is carrying out what it calls a solution to the Palestinian problem, and as a holocaust survivor I must say, not in my name. I see extermination, dehumanization, starvation, blockade, denial of water and medicine, the destruction of health services, the targeting of doctors and journalists, and so-called safe places that are in reality traps. Together, these form the conditions of a holocaust. None of this differs from the actions carried out by the Nazis during the Second World War. Gaza has become an open-air concentration camp. In effect, it is an extermination camp because the only way out is death by bombing, disease, or hunger. The only other option offered is forced removal to places where people do not wish to go. I lived through the holocaust myself. I experienced hiding, discrimination, and the devastation t...
Read more

Old Wounds and New Laws: Poland’s Rifts with Ukraine Resurface

Image
Poland and Ukraine Struggle Over History and Symbols Polish President Karol Nawrocki has introduced proposals aimed at limiting benefits for Ukrainian refugees while also banning public use of symbols connected to Stepan Bandera, a controversial nationalist figure in Ukraine’s history . The move has created tension between Warsaw and Kyiv at a time when both countries are still dealing with the legacy of World War II and the Volhynia massacres. Under Nawrocki’s plan, access to child benefits and certain healthcare would be restricted to Ukrainian refugees unless they are employed in Poland. At the same time, his government seeks to outlaw Banderite emblems, which many Poles associate with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army responsible for wartime atrocities. In Ukraine, however, these same emblems are often linked to national resistance against Soviet domination , showing how symbols can carry very different meanings depending on the perspective. Earlier this year, Polish and Ukrainian leade...
Read more