Ancient Information - The First Computer

While modern computers hold their roots with the creation of the algorithm by Alan Turing in 1936, arguably one of the first computers is the Antikythera Mechanism which dates back to 150-80 B.C.E (If you've ever wondered B.C.E. stands for Before the Common Era). While there have been a wide array of theories about its existence, I'm going to skip the ones that say that the Greeks were aliens.

The Antikythera Mechanism was discovered in the Mediterranean Sea in 1901 and has proven to be a mystery as to who built and designed it. It is Greek in origin, as can be seen by the inscriptions on it and it was found between the Grecian coast and the island of Crete. There is a theory that it might be connected with Archimedes however many believe Posidonius may have created it, he was a historian and worked mainly with studying how the sun and moon moved.

What makes this little piece of mechanics and gears is its calculating and computational power. What you would do is turn a crank to set a date and the computer will tell you the position of the sun, the moon, the other known planets at the time, the Zodiac, and the times some select stars would rise and set. It was a very complicated piece of equipment with over 30 gears and possibly up to 72. It is so complex that the scientists were baffled with the origin as this kind of technology wasn't supposed to be around until the 16th century.

Its perplexity has been examined to death as many scientists try to determine the mysteries yet to be solved. The piece you see at the top of this post is the main body, which is severely broken due to being submerged for two millenniums. It was found in a wooden box which cracked when exposed and dried in the sun. There are several parts missing and thus the exact extent of its use can't be determined with 100% certainty but there have been multiple recreations made that mimic the device's function. Scientists continue to try and decipher all the encryptions and find the true meaning and value of this awesome and ahead-of-its-time computer.