The Antikythera Mechanism is an ancient Greek mechanical model of the solar system, and has been described as the oldest example of an analogue computer. Alien Portals: Strange Artifacts, Devices and Technology, Amazon 2024
What ultimate weapons of destruction have ancient civilisation managed to create more than 2,000 years ago? Might the energy of the sun have been used against invading ships? Could a cannon powered by steam have crushed an enemy fleet? And might the ancient world have built a warship so huge it could match modern aircraft carriers? Ancient Impossible s1e1: Ultimate Weapons, H2 2014
The ancient world was not primitive. Their marvels were so advanced we still use them. ibid.
‘Archimedes was a brilliant inventor and mathematician. ibid.
Archimedes had a fearsome reputation in the ancient world as a mastermind of warfare. ibid. Bethany Hughes
What could be Archimedes’ most sinister weapon – a death ray. ibid.
Could Archimedes’ cannon have had the power needed for such destruction simply using steam? ibid.
The ancient world clearly had more than one great scientific thinker. These ancient geniuses came up with many amazing theories and inventions. Many believe their intellectual capacity may have matched that of great moden thinkers such as Albert Einstein. Colossal monuments, powerful ancient superweapons, and technology so precise it defies reinvention. Ancient Impossible s1e5: Ancient Einsteins
Archimedes: Maybe the greatest mind of ancient times. ibid.
What incredible power-tool might the ancient Egyptians have used to create this mysterious cylinder known as Core 7? What precision instruments did they have to create some of the greatest treasures of the ancient world? Who created the world’s first multi-tool? And an ancient Chinese machine that would start the world’s first industrial revolution. Ancient Impossible s1e6: Power Tools
How did the Greeks create one of the deadliest warships of the ancient world? Might the first battleships have been built hundreds of years before the industrial age? And why did Rome’s more notorious emperor build his pleasure ships? Ancient Impossible s1e7: Greatest Ships
The ancient world created pleasure ships to amaze. But they also created floating superweapons in desperate ancient arms race … Steel amour was … commissioned by a Korean admiral. ibid.
The use of flame as a a weapon at sea goes back to the ancient Greeks. ibid.
The game-changing lightweight armour that helped Alexander the Great conquer Asia. ibid.
An ancient mechanical device found on a 2,000-year-old shipwreck. It’s so complex that even the world’s top scientists can’t figure it out. Known as the Antikythera Mechanism, its origin and purpose are shrouded in secrecy … Can modern technology unlock its secrets? What is the Antikythera Mechanism? Where did it come from? And how does it work? History’s Greatest Mysteries s4e8: The Antikythera Mechanism, History 2023
The Greek Islands, 1900: Diver Elias Stadiatos goes first. The team’s master diver, Demetrios el Kondos decides to go see for himself. Eventually, Greek authorities ask the divers to help salvage items from the shipwreck. ibid.
The device is dubbed the Antikythera Mechanism named from where it was found, and it’s much more complex than originally thought. ibid.
The discovery challenges everything scientists thought they knew about the ancient world. ibid.
Thousands of years ago an amazing story was first told. And it’s been a classic ever since: The Odyssey. The epic of the hero, Odysseus’, journey home is the original adventure story, full of battles, gods, and monsters. The Odyssey with Dan Snow, Channel 5 2026
What does it tell us about the reality of life in ancient Greece. And is there a chance that some of it could be true? ibid.
I have to get out there – on the water. ibid.
Essentially, The Odyssey is a book about getting home … You’ve got Odysseus, he’s one of the Greek kings, he’s been fighting a war for ten years. He’s desperate to get back to his island kingdom of Ithica to see his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. ibid.
The journey which should have taken a week was quickly turning into a nightmare. ibid.
It is a book about terrible weather … and Odysseus’ journey goes from bad to worse. ibid.