Covid-19 Statement
Update - 22 January 2022
Our Innovation Centres remain operational and accessible, and provide a safe environment for our staff and customers. We continue to assess the risk of COVID-19 alongside the latest guidance from government. In the meantime our Innovation Centre remains COVID-19 Secure and fully open for business. Our detailed risk assessment can be found here.
- This event has passed.
RAL Lecture: Prof. Tony Freeth
November 28 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Event Navigation
The Antikythera Mechanism: Nearly Impossible?
Come along to R22 Pickavance Lecture Theatre or join online to hear from Prof. Tony Freeth, University College London, on the subject of the Antikythera Mechanism.
In 1901, Greek sponge divers recovered a corroded lump from an ancient shipwreck near the tiny island of Antikythera, between Crete and mainland Greece. Subsequently, it split apart and revealed tiny precision gearwheels – a shocking discovery for ancient Greece.
More than a century later, we know that the Antikythera Mechanisms was a highly sophisticated astronomical calculating machine, constructed from bronze gearwheels. We also know that it originally included three gears with 53 teeth! How is that possible?
The latest model shows indications for the Sun, Moon and planets as well as eclipse prediction. How confident can we be in this reconstruction? How much is certain? How much is conjectural?
What is the history of research that has led to these conclusions? What are the implications of this technological revolution?
If you are interested in attending either online or in person, please get in touch below to express your interest.
