Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer -- and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets

Marchant, Jo

ISBN 10: 030681742X / ISBN 13: 9780306817427

Published by Da Capo Press, New York, 2009

About this Item

8vo, 328 pp.

Seller Inventory # 102243

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer -- and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets
• Publisher: Da Capo Press, New York
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 030681742X
• ISBN 13: 9780306817427
• Binding: hardcover
• Illustrator: Illus. with photos
• Edition: 1st.
• Condition: Fine copy in fine dust jacket
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
• Seller catalogs:
  • Science & Engineering

About this title

Synopsis

The bronze fragments of an ancient Greek device have puzzled scholars for more than a century after they were recovered from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, where they had lain since about 80 BC. Now, using advanced imaging technology, scientists have solved the mystery of its intricate workings. Unmatched in complexity for a thousand years, the mechanism functioned as the world's first analog computer, calculating the movements of the sun, moon, and planets through the zodiac.

In Decoding the Heavens , Jo Marchant details for the first time the hundred-year quest to decode this ancient computer. Along the way she unearths a diverse cast of remarkable characters—ranging from Archimedes to Jacques Cousteau—and explores the deep roots of modern technology, not only in ancient Greece, but in the Islamic world and medieval Europe. At its heart, this is an epic adventure story, a book that challenges our assumptions about technology development through the ages while giving us fresh insights into history itself.

About the Author

Jo Marchant is a former editor for Nature magazine and the current editor for New Scientist . She traveled to Athens to research the Antikythera fragments, interviewing most of the people involved in the project. She lives in London.