actually, there is evidence of bowls that were engraved by a vibrating tool that left a mark that could be read by a long metal probe.
On 4/25/05, Mike Carrell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Jed wrote: > > Mike Carrell wrote: > > > > >Most of Edison's inventions could have been built anytime in the Iron Age > > >by someone "who knew what to do". > > > > I think that is somewhat exaggerated. > > Sure, it's a bit of hyperbole, to stir discussion. I read a piece on the > Internet about the Antikytheria mechanism, which traced its probable origin > to Rhodes, which at the time was a center of advanced military technology. > There is much to be learned about how invention fluroishes here but not > there. Batteries have been dated to ca. 200 BC, but no envidence that anyone > brought a current carrying wire near a compass until the 1700s. Why should > they? What other potential discoveries have been overlooked? > > There are ancient Egyptian artifacts that very stongly suggest they were > made with machines such as lathes. Exquisite metalwork is seen in tomb > artifacts, so it is dangerous to assert that an Edison foil pnonograph could > not have been built. Glassblowing was known, It may have been possible to > make an incandescent lamp. Electrostatic phenomena would have been seen in > arid Egypt; there are wall carvings suggesting high voltage lamps. > > Lots of dots to connect. > > Mike Carrell > ---------------------- > > > Edison's improved stock market ticker > > and his phonograph required precision parts and advanced metallurgy that > > were not available in Europe before ~1400. They could have been made by > the > > ancient Greeks, however, as shown by the Antikythera computing device. The > > Antikythera level of precision manufacturing was not rediscovered in > Europe > > until roughly 1700 according to what I have read. I expect moveable type > > printing (1450) was the first high-precision European invention good > enough > > to allow Edison's research. > > > > The Chinese or Japanese might have made the Antikythera computing device > or > > Harrison's chronometers around 1500 or 1600, judging by their printing, > > miniature sculptures such as netsuke, and precision gunmaking. > > > > I do not know about other ancient civilizations. > > > > Of course it is difficult to imagine what sort of substitutions or other > > techniques might have been used to overcome problems with precision or > > metallurgy. Any technology can be improved -- even stone age tools. Jared > > Diamond made an interesting comment about this in "Guns Germs and Steel." > > He pointed out that the remaining primitive tribes who still use stone > > tools (or what might be called "modern Stone Age families") use materials > > and techniques far advanced over ice-age stone tools. > > > > - Jed > > > > > > > > > > > > -- "Monsieur l'abb�, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write" Voltaire
