Week 4 Discussion

1. According to the video Ancient Computer the Antikythera Mechanism was

designed to track astronomical cycles vital to calendar keeping and eclipse prediction.
It is speculated to be the work of none other than Archimedes; as placement of the
object, time dating, and Archimedes relatable works all seem to credit him as the
inventor. Ciceros reference also credit the invention to Archimedes, as he describes the
machine that tracks the 5 planets.
What I found to be the most impressive achievement of the builders was their
ability to adapt the gears to account for non-conformity, how they used a pin and slot
gear to adjust for the elliptical orbit of the moon. These two gears were able to mimic
the variable orbit of the moon, keeping the output data from the Antikythera
Mechanism accurate. The fact that they were able to use a circular gear to create or
account for an elliptical path is to say the least incredible. Although I will have to say
being able to predict the color of the eclipse was also pretty impressive.
The number of the ridges on the gears was significant in two respects. First, the
number of ridges relate directly to astronomical data. 19, 127, 223, and 53 are just four
gears out of the 50-60 that were believed to be part of the original mechanism. However,
these numbers have specific meaning. 19 and 127 for example, results from the
calculation 27.3 x 19 = 254 or the number of days it took the moon to get back to the
same star in the sky times the number of calendar years equals the number of moon
orbits around the Earth. 254 was then divided in half resulting in a gear with 127 ridges
(since a gear with 254 would be too big). 53 also relates to the moons elliptical path,
indicating the number of turns within the 9-year rotation. 223, although much more
difficult to solve for investigators, indicates the approximate number of months in the
18-year eclipse cycle or the Saros Cycle. Second, the number of ridges on the gears was
also of great importance to the discoverers of the mechanism as it was these numbers
that helped them to solve the purpose and the inner workings of the ancient computer.
2. Hypatia, is known by many names mathematician, philosopher, inventor,
astronomer, teacher, and editor to name a few. However, what I believe makes her so
unique is not entirely her accomplishments but the notoriety she received as a female in
a male dominated society. She was considered to be a part of high society and was
welcomed and respected among the elite in her fields as well as those students she
taught.
Hypatia, was also a teacher and an inventor designing such instruments as the
astrolabe (that tracked the planets, the stars, and the moon) and the hydroscope (that
measured the gravity of differing liquids). Additionally, she edited many others works,
including Euclids Elements and Ptolemys Almagest while still penning her own such
as The Astronomical Cannon. Unfortunately, these inventions get overshadowed in the
light of todays technology but for her era they are and should be considered
breakthroughs.
Finally, what also says a lot about her is the way with which her life ended. When
the Christians overtook her city, Hypatia was deemed a witch from what some say was
her belief in Neo-Platism (belief in pure intelligence) or her very inventions (the
astrolabe) but I think what concerned them more was her place in society. A woman in
the upper echelon of society was nearly unheard of in her time and that threat alone

could have been enough to make her a target. She was in my account though a woman
who in the very least deserves more notoriety than that of a teacher as her legacy
stretches far beyond that of a classroom.
References:
Beckham, M. (Writer), & Beckham, M. (Director). (2012). The Ancient Computer
[Motion Picture].
The Science Classroom. (2015). Hypatia of Alexandria. Retrieved from Hypatia of
Alexandrea:
https://thescienceclassroom.wikispaces.com/Hypatia+of+Alexandrea#Hypatia%20of
%20Alexandria-Major%20Contributions