Decoding the Heavens

In 1900, a group of sponge divers blown off course in the Mediterranean discovered an Ancient Greek shipwreck dating from around 70 BC. Lying unnoticed for months amongst their hard-won haul was what appeared to be a formless lump of corroded rock, which turned out to be the most stunning scientific artefact we have from antiquity. For more than a century this 'Antikythera mechanism' puzzled academics, but now, more than 2000 years after the device was lost at sea, scientists have pieced together its intricate workings. In "Decoding the Heavens", Jo Marchant tells for the first time the story of the 100-year quest to understand this ancient computer. Along the way she unearths a diverse cast of remarkable characters - ranging from Archimedes to Jacques Cousteau - and explores the deep roots of modern technology not only in Ancient Greece, the Islamic world and medieval Europe.

ISBN 0099519763   Pages 336 ISBN13 9780099519768 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 246 Publisher Cornerstone   Published in London Imprint Windmill Books   Height (mm) 195 Format Paperback   Width (mm) 130 Publication date 18 Apr 2009   Spine width (mm) 22 DEWEY 681.1110938   Academic level General DEWEY edition DC22

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