The gears of the Antikythera Mechanism: an educational pathfinder to the solar system
Xenophon Moussas
(1)
,
Georgios Bampasidis
(1)
,
Yanis Bitsakis
(2)
,
Theodosios Tassios
(3)
,
Magdalini Anastasiou
(4)
,
Kyriakos Efstathiou
(5)
,
Georgios Fasoulopoulos
(6)
,
Isidoros Kioleoglou
(7)
,
Mike Edmunds
(8)
,
Mary Zafeiropoulou
(9)
,
Manos Roumeliotis
(10)
,
Tom Malzbender
(11)
,
Andrew Ramsey
(12)
,
Dionysios Kriaris
(13)
,
Evangelos Spandagos
(13)
,
Nikos Giannopoulos
(13)
,
Amalia Porligi
(13)
,
Eleni Daniels
(14)
,
Michael T. Wright
(15)
,
Reem Sabry
(16)
,
Hoda El-Mikaty
(16)
,
Göran Henriksson
(17)
,
Ing-Marie Munktell
(17)
,
Flora Vafea
(18)
,
Stratos Koufos
(19)
,
Dimitrios Prassopoulos
(20)
,
Vasili Zafiropoulos
(4)
,
Andreas Karakonstantis
(21)
,
Katerina Aggeioplasti
(20)
,
Eleni Delidou
(20)
,
Costas Papoulias
(13)
,
George Papoulias
(13)
,
Paul Haley
(22)
,
Jamal Mimouni
(23)
,
David Valls-Gabaud
(24)
,
Matt Biggs
(22)
,
Drahomir Chochol
(25)
,
Jacek Szubiakowski
(26)
,
Ela Plucinska
(26)
,
Anna Jacyno
(26)
,
Alexandros Kakouris
(1)
,
Pavel Pal'Us
(27)
,
Danica Jancusková
(28)
,
Mária Ferianciková
(27)
,
Krystof Czart
(26)
,
Nikos Xenakis
(29)
,
Evgenia Gkini
(24)
,
Eva Perpyraki
(30)
,
Leonidas Tziannoudakis
(30)
,
Panagiotis Antoniou
(20)
1
NKUA -
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
2 University of Athens
3 Association for Ancient Greek Technology Studies, Athens, Greece
4 Faculty of Physics, University of Athens
5 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
6 Secondary Education, Athens, Greece
7 NCSR - National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos"
8 Cardiff University
9 National Archaeological Museum of Athens, 1 Tositsa Str., 10682 Athens, Greece
10 Department of Technology Management, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece
11 JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
12 X-Tek Systems, Metris, UK
13 Academy of Athens
14 DanielsMedia Co., Public Relations, NY, USA
15 Imperial College London
16 Planetarium Science Center, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexploratorium, Alexandria, Egypt
17 Uppsala University
18 Abet Greek School in Cairo, Egypt
19 Zagori Observatory
20 Demokritos University of Thrace
21 EKFE, Chios, Greece
22 UKATC - UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory Edinburgh
23 Department of physics, University Sad Dahlab
24 Observatoire de Paris
25 Astronomical Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences
26 Olsztyn Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory, Al. Pilsudskiego 38, 10-450 Olsztyn, Poland
27 Comenius University in Bratislava
28 Nicolaus Copernicus University [Toruń]
29 Kasos, Greece
30 Crete Center for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics
2 University of Athens
3 Association for Ancient Greek Technology Studies, Athens, Greece
4 Faculty of Physics, University of Athens
5 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
6 Secondary Education, Athens, Greece
7 NCSR - National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos"
8 Cardiff University
9 National Archaeological Museum of Athens, 1 Tositsa Str., 10682 Athens, Greece
10 Department of Technology Management, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece
11 JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
12 X-Tek Systems, Metris, UK
13 Academy of Athens
14 DanielsMedia Co., Public Relations, NY, USA
15 Imperial College London
16 Planetarium Science Center, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexploratorium, Alexandria, Egypt
17 Uppsala University
18 Abet Greek School in Cairo, Egypt
19 Zagori Observatory
20 Demokritos University of Thrace
21 EKFE, Chios, Greece
22 UKATC - UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory Edinburgh
23 Department of physics, University Sad Dahlab
24 Observatoire de Paris
25 Astronomical Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences
26 Olsztyn Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory, Al. Pilsudskiego 38, 10-450 Olsztyn, Poland
27 Comenius University in Bratislava
28 Nicolaus Copernicus University [Toruń]
29 Kasos, Greece
30 Crete Center for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics
Résumé
The Antikythera Mechanism is the most sophisticated extant ancient astronomical instrument and analogue computer known and was assembled sometime between 150 and 100 BCE, almost a century after the death of Archimedes. The mechanism has a great educational potential as it appeals to inquiring minds as an astonishing artefact of science and technology. The latest research findings reveal significant cultural and social functions in its operations. This astonishing astronomical instrument has a clear interdisciplinary valueand it has that it may be used as an educational medium, to engage the general public, and especially to attract students both to/from exact sciences and to/from the humanities. The astronomical and technical knowledge embedded in the mechanism can also be used to introduce some aspects of modern science through the unknown technological achievements of Hellenic antiquity.