tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60857554044084917202024-03-22T03:44:35.955+00:00Trivia IslandA blog about weird and/or interesting knowledge.R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10266380486462920675noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6085755404408491720.post-85802594958047658912009-05-16T18:24:00.004+01:002009-05-16T18:34:42.712+01:00Where does the word "fee" come from?The word <span style="font-style: italic;">"fee"</span>, meaning a payment exchanged for something of value, originally comes from the old English word <span style="font-style: italic;">"feoh"</span>. It is related to the German word <span style="font-style: italic;">"Vieh"</span>, ultimately deriving from the Proto-Indo-European <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">*peku</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsTRBDxRtkl9cIygxy6JQtJuMrRyjbJ2oUClCr9l5Pd9n1Jhku3APg-jf5hlq7TtwmlB7kjahlxjacUroGEv-GL9rgZjrGAzaGFw-qbT7SucRSuYqlqkdbtTq4dA3vB1xyt_3wCB9UjmC/s1600-h/Betizu_sur_le_massif_du_Xoldokogaina.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsTRBDxRtkl9cIygxy6JQtJuMrRyjbJ2oUClCr9l5Pd9n1Jhku3APg-jf5hlq7TtwmlB7kjahlxjacUroGEv-GL9rgZjrGAzaGFw-qbT7SucRSuYqlqkdbtTq4dA3vB1xyt_3wCB9UjmC/s320/Betizu_sur_le_massif_du_Xoldokogaina.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336476299877029842" border="0" /></a><br />This word literally means <span style="font-style: italic;">"(owned) cattle"</span>. In traditional societies, the amount of cattle a family owned was a measure of wealth, and eventually the meaning of the word changed to not only stand for livestock, but also for money and property.R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10266380486462920675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6085755404408491720.post-20853337274818190082009-04-21T15:40:00.000+01:002009-04-21T15:40:00.208+01:00Mongolian Ninja MinersNinja miners are an interesting phenomenon from Mongolia. They are called this way because the bowls they use (which are green) resemble the shells on the backs of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24JmaC0gtDHRnUFUnF5dQcv-kcc5rN-kjZ7-pYI6_UvlkrsUCg3U_SZ9JPFCv6AidbeIj2DvXfieswvXr3dfrpI-kGrAzkMUC7_6douILPtG2lo9EbQ_inXZONnFNjdA5c8_0qQl0wDIo/s1600-h/Mongolia_aimags_2007.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24JmaC0gtDHRnUFUnF5dQcv-kcc5rN-kjZ7-pYI6_UvlkrsUCg3U_SZ9JPFCv6AidbeIj2DvXfieswvXr3dfrpI-kGrAzkMUC7_6douILPtG2lo9EbQ_inXZONnFNjdA5c8_0qQl0wDIo/s320/Mongolia_aimags_2007.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326900698798287506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Mongolia.</span></div><br />These "miners" dig small patches of land for gold. This trend started after harsh weather conditions made the traditional nomadic livestock-herding lifestyle less fruitful.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Links:</span><br /><ul><li>An interesting <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2003/12/22/356094/index.htm">article</a> from CNN Money.</li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/gallery/2007/oct/04/internationalnews1?picture=330895804">Slideshow</a> from the Guardian.<br /></li></ul>R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10266380486462920675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6085755404408491720.post-92064560796648723892009-04-19T20:04:00.000+01:002009-04-20T22:31:26.998+01:00Where does the word "draconian" come from?You might already have heard the expression <span style="font-style: italic;">"draconian punishment"</span>. This usually refers to excessively harsh consequences for someone's actions. Often, the misdoing in question is relatively minor compared to the punishment applied for it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBggE55h5qYZUkuiEjilJVzjQQIbFx8YskmFhba9GROzFdSUjiZTxVT9s_gb-prweY9lswkuIIBlF4vc67azsrXCWmFLfgrpaKWK5ShkVImUHr1dL-3zRoJi1zOZieNLolFQSd8Y0pEvgo/s1600-h/papyrus2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBggE55h5qYZUkuiEjilJVzjQQIbFx8YskmFhba9GROzFdSUjiZTxVT9s_gb-prweY9lswkuIIBlF4vc67azsrXCWmFLfgrpaKWK5ShkVImUHr1dL-3zRoJi1zOZieNLolFQSd8Y0pEvgo/s320/papyrus2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326484050907579618" border="0" /></a><br />The word "draconian" originally comes from the name of Draco, a lawgiver from Ancient Greece, who lived in the 7th century BC. He codified many of the laws which were only transmitted orally before his time.<br /><br />However, it has since been argued that the association of his name with terrible penalties is somewhat unjust. Many of the laws were only written down, not made by him. Also, he is noted to have introduced the distinction between deliberate and accidental wrongdoing, such as between murder and involuntary homicide. He even abolished some bloodier punishments known from earlier times.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Links:</span> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draco_%28lawgiver%29">Article</a> on Wikipedia.</li></ul>R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10266380486462920675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6085755404408491720.post-56521058447090983242009-04-19T00:26:00.000+01:002009-04-19T00:44:10.575+01:00The Baader-Meinhof Effect<style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --</style><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">The Baader-Meinhof effect is a phenomenon in psychology. When a person learns about a particular topic, they often have the impression to hear more frequently about it afterwards.</span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqVYgOJzP7PohARZiBo5kEnWKfCn-4MSKEtYhKQT2iFb4OkDBQkXxBko2__G4scXYQMa0JtvFDvx1rBn2kNTFwLyYKfP2m4IzYAw4xsrSGYkc8WZhlpdcPAW4TsRTSA__L9j3CTrUz7Am/s1600-h/200px-RAF-Logo.svg.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqVYgOJzP7PohARZiBo5kEnWKfCn-4MSKEtYhKQT2iFb4OkDBQkXxBko2__G4scXYQMa0JtvFDvx1rBn2kNTFwLyYKfP2m4IzYAw4xsrSGYkc8WZhlpdcPAW4TsRTSA__L9j3CTrUz7Am/s320/200px-RAF-Logo.svg.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326177369746756994" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"> <meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Linux)"> <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The logo of the Baader-Meinhof group.</span><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">The term was coined by Terry Mullen in a letter to the newspaper St. Paul Pioneer Press. He described how, when he learned of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Army_Faction">Baader-Meinhof gang</a>, a German terrorist group, he shortly afterwards heard about it from a different source.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"> <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">A scientific explanation for this phenomenon is the concept of the recency effect. The mind is biased towards things it has recently learned – if we learn something new, we are more likely to pay attention to it when we encounter it again shortly after learning.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"> <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">A similar, related theory says that we are generally biased against information we do not know. After we have learned that piece of information, we more easily become aware of it when we see it.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"> <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Either way – it is not like the entire world starts to talk about something when we first learn about it. Rather, the impression arises because of mental bias.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Links:</span></span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baader-Meinhof_phenomenon">Baader-Meinhof effect</a> on Wikipedia.<br /></span></span></li></ul> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p>R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10266380486462920675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6085755404408491720.post-91297676972955920632009-04-13T11:10:00.000+01:002009-04-14T09:37:30.586+01:00What is the origin of the word “bankruptcy”?<span style="font-size:100%;">Legally speaking, bankruptcy is the inability to pay one's creditors. At various periods in history, there were different ways of dealing with such situations.<br /><br /></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yTJmSysEP8fNUFOmZ122U1dGc2_04XEiugFMNW0Gos0-bkgaB0XREW8jZS3ox9xT3jDkRC53QJxnnDBltkoH6B8CGdUbhq5Kz2TEPXdsgAX8P16HXvaHLr1JiwbyQL20SqbHwUVcif4w/s1600-h/Bankrupt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yTJmSysEP8fNUFOmZ122U1dGc2_04XEiugFMNW0Gos0-bkgaB0XREW8jZS3ox9xT3jDkRC53QJxnnDBltkoH6B8CGdUbhq5Kz2TEPXdsgAX8P16HXvaHLr1JiwbyQL20SqbHwUVcif4w/s320/Bankrupt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324117976671920770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />The word <span style="font-style: italic;">“bankruptcy”</span> derives from the Italian term <span style="font-style: italic;">“banca rotta”</span>, meaning <span style="font-style: italic;">“broken table”</span>. This comes from the custom of publicly breaking the table of a salesman when they could not pay back their debts. Since this frequently happened on busy days in busy places, the goods they had on sale were often distributed to bystanders. Then, in most cases, the shamed merchant had to leave the city.<br /><br />Later in history, laws were passed which aimed to distribute fair shares of what was left of the debtor's assets to the creditors. This is called the <span style="font-style: italic;">insolvency process</span> today.<br /></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"></span>R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10266380486462920675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6085755404408491720.post-80416404642442034432009-04-12T17:53:00.000+01:002009-04-12T18:16:22.210+01:00Kaspar Hauser: The Mysterious Boy of Nuremberg<span style="font-size:100%;">In May 1828, a boy of about 16 years was found walking on the streets of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg">Nuremberg</a> in Germany. He was looking for a high-ranking military official, </span>Friedrich von Wessenig, who transferred him into police custody when the two eventually met. <span style="font-size:100%;"> Attempts to establish the boy's origin proved unfruitful, since he had a very limited vocabulary. However, he showed knowledge of money, could write the name <span style="font-style: italic;">“Kaspar Hauser”</span> and was able to say a few prayers. Additionally, he demonstrated some limited reading skills.</span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwCPozeAXWuTh-Bj_O-TSNGYMlmIUbHT5UA1qhjXAFsR-a2gKqvMelaVBnseiefdrrYEThIuokGIiRAZq50ldHvXDNIA4NMdNr1KH8KXYpsg6C2yM4K6pep-tOazcbHbuWkN1ulzjJlkQ/s1600-h/KasparHauser.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwCPozeAXWuTh-Bj_O-TSNGYMlmIUbHT5UA1qhjXAFsR-a2gKqvMelaVBnseiefdrrYEThIuokGIiRAZq50ldHvXDNIA4NMdNr1KH8KXYpsg6C2yM4K6pep-tOazcbHbuWkN1ulzjJlkQ/s320/KasparHauser.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323851950389479730" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Portrait of Kaspar Hauser when he was first found.</span><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">An anonymous letter <span style="font-style: italic;">"from the border of Bavaria"</span> carried by the boy stated that he wanted to <span style="font-style: italic;">“become a cavalryman, just like his father”</span>. Another letter, allegedly written by his mother, gave his date of birth as April 30</span><sup><span style="font-size:100%;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size:100%;">, 1812.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">He ended up living under the care of a prison guard, Andreas Hiltel. Little by little, Kaspar revealed a shocking story: prior to his release, he spent all his life in a dark cellar, where he only received water and bread to live.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Kaspar Hauser's real origin has never been determined conclusively. An attempt on his life happened on October 17</span><sup><span style="font-size:100%;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size:100%;">, 1829. Kaspar was found with a bleeding cut on his head. He survived and later said he had been attacked by a masked man.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">An alleged second attempt occurred on December 14</span><sup><span style="font-size:100%;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size:100%;">, 1833. He reported that an unknown man gave him a bag and stabbed him in the chest. Kaspar Hauser died three days later. There are, however, doubts whether Kaspar Hauser really was attacked – it is believed the wound may have been self-inflicted.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwXoilA5MTbkRbvQK8bo1bWaqKZLLVmlbhqSL4QBH3iFuReqj4rPA440uG_m1rnAP310iOmfD5T3eGMS_7lXdrb2-nttUzpLD7-D5p7XUlMfYMMLcAnTG7NS10NtMF2Q5n1Vo6ng9sM1u/s1600-h/KasparHauserStatue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwXoilA5MTbkRbvQK8bo1bWaqKZLLVmlbhqSL4QBH3iFuReqj4rPA440uG_m1rnAP310iOmfD5T3eGMS_7lXdrb2-nttUzpLD7-D5p7XUlMfYMMLcAnTG7NS10NtMF2Q5n1Vo6ng9sM1u/s320/KasparHauserStatue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323852334528916930" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A statue in Nuremberg.</span><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Influenced by those events, theories and rumors about his real origin started. One theory posited that he was, in fact, the hereditary prince of Baden, who was born not long after Kaspar Hauser's stated birthday. Officially, the prince of Baden died a few days after his birth, but proponents of this theory claim that he was exchanged with a dying child and survived – as Kaspar Hauser. Then, as the theory goes, the physical attacks against him were attempts to cover up the real story. DNA studies carried out recently remained inconclusive.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">On the other hand, there are opinions that Kaspar Hauser invented his story, even going as far as staging his abandonment on the streets of Nuremberg. Alternatively, some have suggested an exaggerated account was constructed by using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leading_question">leading questions</a>.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Evidence cited for this version is that Kaspar's physical health was too good considering the circumstances described. However, it is still very likely he did not have much contact to other people and, as a result, developed a mental deficiency.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Links:<br /></span></p><ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaspar_Hauser">Wikipedia entry</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnvlduTJCi8"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser</span></a> on YouTube - a German dramatization with English subtitles (1974).</li></ul>R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10266380486462920675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6085755404408491720.post-13262289822508999422009-04-11T22:49:00.000+01:002009-04-11T23:14:35.128+01:00The Mechanism of Antikythera: The World's First Computer?<span style="font-size:100%;">In 1901, a group of divers discovered a ship wreck near the Greek island of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera">Antikythera</a>. Inside, they found some chunks of lime which apparently contained pieces of copper. Later, close examination by scientists revealed gears, scales, a crank handle and inscriptions.<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBTckAqN3ssE0hHIDOSePvPUOXr3IfjPyys2xhWaD8S7_AnMjCzYmzE8VC9TO4FDOWbfoNLq26tLHATaKDTPwVQVbW5t48kV9aFkHsLaWFa0KsUBKBil4QkV3MuMyTELOQRiJquIuI8Zv/s1600-h/OriginalMachine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBTckAqN3ssE0hHIDOSePvPUOXr3IfjPyys2xhWaD8S7_AnMjCzYmzE8VC9TO4FDOWbfoNLq26tLHATaKDTPwVQVbW5t48kV9aFkHsLaWFa0KsUBKBil4QkV3MuMyTELOQRiJquIuI8Zv/s320/OriginalMachine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323554907592309058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The mechanism of Antikythera.</span></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Today, the machine is assumed to have been one of the world's first analog computers. Dr. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_J._de_Solla_Price">Derek J. de Solla Price</a> examined the machine in 1959, and his conclusions were a sensation. The findings demonstrated that it has been used to calculate the time of sunrise, moon phases, the dates of equinoxes and solstices and even the movements of the five planets known to the Greeks at that time.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The time when the machine was manufactured was dated to be the first or second century BC. It was probably assembled on the Greek island of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodes">Rhodes</a>, which was well-known in antiquity for its skilled engineers.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfo4TJKkGqFliim49tfXXLR-IXJ9U0Uks53JeVG9OuqXRaywPzTUuu6YFLhzBUqRhG7V4JQm3cn-V6XcF08U9esBq1OuXINUBzp_E3ezlV98b4XVi4NpClqE5jwcNzG_9Xe-10F_3tCoY2/s1600-h/DerekdeSollaPrice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfo4TJKkGqFliim49tfXXLR-IXJ9U0Uks53JeVG9OuqXRaywPzTUuu6YFLhzBUqRhG7V4JQm3cn-V6XcF08U9esBq1OuXINUBzp_E3ezlV98b4XVi4NpClqE5jwcNzG_9Xe-10F_3tCoY2/s320/DerekdeSollaPrice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323555457767984578" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Derek J. de Solla Price with a replica of the machine.<br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Given the supported functionality and the era of manufacture, the device is relatively small. On some attached door plates, it contained at least 2000 Greek letters - presumably instructions on how to operate the machine. This suggests that it was made to be moved easily from one place to another.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">A remarkable property of the mechanism is the clever way how it uses gears to perform mathematical operations. However, gears were known long before that – already Aristotle documented them in the fourth century BC.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Perhaps the most fascinating mechanical feature of the machine is that it seems to employ a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_%28mechanical_device%29">differential</a>. This device, which is today commonly used in automobiles, was likely not discovered again until the modern era, when </span>Onésiphore Pecqueur<span style="font-size:100%;"> patented it in 1827. Therefore, the real inventor probably was a craftsman from Rhodes.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIn61_4lsz_NKCXNB9Z2kd5mZqhWEw1tPBPh5YdFJKuZVAu062K2EKq1Id8bjc10NeLO3Td9h44Xmhuaq4_DFBahmR4SqAmxcREP_PBWd2GfeBT84jCYTs2LeCLGp6vWo4oFkZHSDVLn7/s1600-h/AntikytheraSketch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIn61_4lsz_NKCXNB9Z2kd5mZqhWEw1tPBPh5YdFJKuZVAu062K2EKq1Id8bjc10NeLO3Td9h44Xmhuaq4_DFBahmR4SqAmxcREP_PBWd2GfeBT84jCYTs2LeCLGp6vWo4oFkZHSDVLn7/s320/AntikytheraSketch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323555941589902546" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A sketch of the mechanism.</span><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The machine seems not to have been used to aid navigation – many of the functions are not needed for this purpose, and contact with water would have corroded the fine parts it was composed of. A much likelier theory is that it was used for astrology or determining the dates of religious festivals influenced by astronomy. It therefore simplified the otherwise tedious calculations carried out by hand.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The mechanism of Antikythera is historically significant. It demonstrates how scientifically advanced the world of antiquity really was, contrary to popular perception.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Links:</span></p><ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism"><span><span>Wikipedia entry</span></span></a></li><li><span><span>An <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026861.600">article</a> by the New Scientist and their interesting <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrfMFhrgOFc">video</a></span></span></li><li><a href="http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/"><span><span>The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project</span></span></a></li><li><span><span>Another <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/videoarchive/antikythera/">video</a> by Nature<br /></span></span></li></ul>R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10266380486462920675noreply@blogger.com0