And I thought my TRS-80 was old and clunky. Jo Marchant explores one of the world’s first computers — well, kind of — in the nonfiction work DECODING THE HEAVENS: A 2,000-YEAR-OLD COMPUTER — AND THE CENTURY-LONG SEARCH TO DISCOVER ITS SECRETS.
The wet, weathered pieces of the Antikythera Mechanism were discovered by none other than sponge divers in the waters of Greece, in the year 1900. They didn’t know what the gears and wheels were, but Marchant traces experts’ efforts at cracking this ancient mystery, eventually determining the mechanism as some sort of astrological clock, utilizing technology well ahead of its time.
Through photos and illustrations, the reader gets a good glimpse of the machine — both as it stands and as it was intended — so no worries about trying to wrap your head around such an abstract concept. Marchant’s work reads like a really good science magazine article, just slightly expanded to book length. It could use just a bit more “oomph,” but for those who are history buffs, science nerds and WIRED subscribers, it’ll punch your clock. —Rod Lott
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