Tuesday 5 May 2009

Clockpunk and Others

Places of interest around the web - and why they are interesting:

http://davinciautomata.wordpress.com/

This blog is fascinating itself and it seems that the Leonardo Da Vinci papers are now online, at least some are, specifically: the Madrid Codices and the Codex Atlanticus.

Perhaps it could be said that Leonardo was the father of Clockpunk - or maybe The precursor to Professor Brainstawm? (Hunter, N.)

...and if you want the untimate in clockpunk history, how about the Antikythera device?
Fished out of the Aegean by sponge divers around 1900- 1901, this is a fascinating piece of corroded metal that turns out to be possibly the earliest computer ever at around 150–100 BC. it even includes dials relating to the Olympics of the time. Nature has further information on this:
http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/project/publications/nature-2008 as well as a link to some detailed research into this fascinating device.

Heron was another ancient who delighted in mechanical clockwork devices, he even invented the earliest automatic doors, and an automatic vending machine - for Holy water! Heron (or Hero) was around at c10-70AD and even created a complete automatic theatre which ran for about 10 minutes.
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Hero_of_Alexandria

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