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The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism

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Hi Ng

recently I had an idea about the origin and the purpose of the 
Antikythera mechanism.

see - for instance - this video:

"These Ancient Relics Are So Advanced They Shouldn't Exist..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAsWFgpvYhA

The device has a knob, which could be turned to crank in a certain 
constellation of the planets.

But who could make use of this?


The possible solution:

time travelers would need something similar.

Reason:

Supposed you were sent back in time and you arrive somewhere way back in 
the past. How would you find out, where exactly you are?

You could ask someone for the date and that person would eventually answer:
we have now the tenth day of the seventh month of the year 3456
(if he would answer at all).

But what does that mean in B.C. ????

Not that easy to find out, if you think about it. But the exact date 
would be of mayor importance for time-travelers, since the position in 
time would be important for the 'journey' back home.

If you miss the destination in the past by a few years, then returning 
would be difficult, if not impossible.

So such a traveler would need something to figure out the exact date in 
his own 'home zone' units.

Since observation of the stars and planets would be somehow possible, 
the calculation of the date would still be really difficult .

To provide some assistance to the time traveler, the authorities, that 
sent him out, could eventually have ordered to build such a machine like 
the  Antikythera mechanism.

Smartphone with an appropriate app would have been better, but possible 
those have not yet been invented.

But astronomic clocks of some sophistication were feasible (besides time 
machines, of course).

So good watchmakers from the early 20th century would be a good bet (as 
origin).

TH

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Thread

The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Thomas Heger <ttt_heg@web.de> - 2018-06-19 14:46 +0200
  Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Zprávn Udoucih <zpnvn@nwinst.ce> - 2018-06-19 17:28 +0000
    Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Thomas Heger <ttt_heg@web.de> - 2018-06-19 20:10 +0200
      Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Alan Folmsbee <omnilobe@gmail.com> - 2018-06-19 14:38 -0700
        Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Thomas Heger <ttt_heg@web.de> - 2018-06-20 18:44 +0200
        Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Oren Woodcock <uw@osiweoq.lp> - 2018-06-29 22:49 +0000
      Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Oren Woodcock <uw@osiweoq.lp> - 2018-06-29 22:54 +0000
        Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Thomas Heger <ttt_heg@web.de> - 2018-06-30 12:04 +0200
          Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Oren Woodcock <uw@osiweoq.lp> - 2018-06-30 13:12 +0000
            Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Thomas Heger <ttt_heg@web.de> - 2018-07-01 21:03 +0200
              Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism The Starmaker <starmaker@ix.netcom.com> - 2018-07-01 13:46 -0700
                Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Thomas Heger <ttt_heg@web.de> - 2018-07-02 19:45 +0200
  Re: The purpose of the Antikythera mechanism Edward Prochak <edprochak@gmail.com> - 2018-07-03 09:01 -0700

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