I knew we were getting stupider

Perhaps you've heard of the Antikythera mechanism. For those of you who have not.... It is a rather interesting artifact that was recovered from the Antikythera wreck, a shipwreck off the Greek island Antikythera, in 1901. Initially the complexity of the machine was not known because it had corroded into a mass.

It wasn't until the device was studied with a modern x-ray that its significance and complexity began to be understood. Scholars attributed the device to the Greeks and dated it to the early 1st century BC.  Interestingly enough, this complexity and workmanship wasn't seen again until the 14th century.

Sophisticated imaging techniques have further unlocked the complexities of the device. The article that spurred me to this writing claims that the device is "1500 years ahead of its time" and that its like "Finding a functional Buick in medieval Europe". The article goes on to say that its compactness actually bests the later designs.

The mechanism was designed to predict the movement of planets, moon phases, and would even account for leap years.

This device clearly shows that our ancient ancestors were capable beyond our dreams. For this writer,  it highlights how much knowledge has been lost to us. It's no wonder we can't figure out how the pyramids were built. (It's easier to say aliens built them) Which brings me to the title of my blog. Are we really getting smarter? Or are we still getting stupider?

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Here are some links to further explore the famed Antikythera device.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism

http://io9.com/advanced-imaging-reveals-a-computer-1-500-years-ahead-o-1492104535

-Red
www.jeffjake.com
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Twitter @MortisG187

TIME for a figure of speech

I saw an interesting show today on ancient discoveries. It was about the Antikythera Machine. However, that is a whole different blog. You can check out the video here. What I would like to pull out of the video is a piece about the clepsydra. It's one of the first devices used to measure the passing of time. The ancient Greeks were brilliant mathematicians and engineers. When you look at some of the things that they accomplished, you may consider them modern. Some of what they discovered was lost and is only now being rediscovered.

The clepsydra was a simple device designed to keep track of a set amount of time. Say to time a persons allotted duration to speak during a court proceeding or in a senate setting. For example, an attorney may have only been given five minutes for a rebuttal. In comes the clepsydra.

The clepsydra consisted of a basin that would hold water. At the bottom was a spout that would remain plugged until the timer would be needed. Inside the basin were marks that would denote how much time had passed as the level of water would pass.

A very simple device, but effective. What I thought was really cool about this whole deal.... This is where we get the phrase "Running out of time".

A simple phrase that started thousands of years ago. (Around 16th century B.C. - That's before Jesus people)

Time... what a precious thing. 

-Red

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