Analog Devices

Question 1

What time period was the astrolabe used in?

Answer 1

It was clearly used in the Arab empire (~600 AD up to ~1600 AD)

Question 2

What are some of the common uses of the astrolabe?

Answer 2

• Time keeping (given the sun’s position when at the following latitude it is the XYZ time of day).
• Determining the current latitude (navigation)

Question 3

What is the general appearance of an astrolabe and what are the major parts of it?

Answer 3

It’s a projection of the map of the sky (a dome) on a 2D surface.

• Outer backing: mater/“mother”
• Metal: plates/ “climate” or ”tympanum”
• Cut-away disk: rete/“net/network?”

Question 4

What was the date and circumstances under which the Antikythera device was found?

Answer 4

• Discovered in 1900 by Greek sponge fisherman who found a shipwreck near the island of Antikythira.
• They took shelter from a storm and divers were sent after it blew over.
• Instead of finding sponges a ship wreak was found.
• It contained Greek statues and artifacts from the time of Christ.
• Included in those artifacts was a lump of encrusted bronze.

Question 5

Describe the appearance and general condition of the Antikythera device?

Answer 5

• Due to the deteriorated condition (years in salt water) the exact use is unknown.
• It’s speculated to be the device reported by the Roman philosopher Cicero (~1st century BC) and used to reproduce the positions of the sun, the moon and some of the planets. (Williams).

Question 6

What was the date of creation and the significance of the Antikythera device?

Answer 6

• creation date?
• The Antikythera device originated from Roman times yet contained gearing mechanism that did not reappear in Europe until much later in ~1500 years.

Question 7

What was the approximate creation date and use of the Differential Analyzer

Answer 7

Date: Late 1920s, early 1930s

used to solve differential equations and integrals (integrals and derivatives).

Application in Ballistics research (calculate angles of artillery pieces)

Question 8

Who were the key people and what significant events happened with these people when developing the original difference engine?

Answer 8

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Question 9

Who were the key people and what significant events happened with these people when developing the MIT?

Answer 9

People: Vannevar Bush
Event: First one to produce working machine in 1920-1930’s

Question 10

Who were the key people and what significant events happened with these people when developing the Oslo?

Answer 10

german’s knew the differential analyzer at Oslo University in Norway was so useful that they were going to take it and ship it over to Germany for their military applications.

Creator at Oslo (Svein Rosseland)Sabotaged the device when he heard of Germany’s plan by taking the parts of it with him when running to another country, this rendered it unusable.

Question 11

Who were the key people and what significant events happened with these people when developing the Manchester?

Answer 11

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