World’s oldest computer revealed: A YouTuber’s data leads scientists to new insights into 2,000 years of computing history

Key Points:

• The Antikythera mechanism, discovered in 1901, is confirmed to be the world's first analogue computer, designed to track the Greek lunar calendar with remarkable precision using advanced gear ratios decoded through modern Bayesian statistical methods.
• University of Glasgow scientists, aided by YouTuber Chris Budiselic's historically accurate replicas and experimental archaeology, applied gravitational wave detection math to uncover the device's internal kinematics and calendar configuration.
• The mechanism's calendar ring was found to have 354 or 355 holes, aligning with the lunar calendar rather than the solar year, highlighting the ancient Greeks' deep astronomical knowledge and sophisticated mechanical timekeeping.
• Precision measurements of the mechanism's components demonstrate that ancient Greek craftsmen employed advanced dividing machinery or geometric techniques, indicating a level of technological development in mechanical computing far ahead of its time.
• Built around 60-70 BC, the Antikythera mechanism mechanically encoded celestial events such as solar eclipses and planetary motions, showcasing an extraordinary prehistoric mastery of analogue computing and astronomical engineering.