What the Ancients Did for Us - Episode 08: The Greeks

Description

This episode features reports from Cockburn in Greece and Italy elaborated by demonstrations from Hart-Davis, Jopson and expert guests that examine the ideas and inventions that emerged from Ancient Greece.

    * Geometry allowed for advances in engineering such as the Tunnel of Eupalinos visited by Cockburn on Samos.
    * Musical scales were invented by Pythagoras in a process explained by Hart-Davies that he applied to the universe.
    * The water organ was invented by Ctesibius of Alexandria using a devise reconstructed by Jopsom that was the first to use compressed air.
    * Mirrors were used by Archimedes in a process demonstrated by Jopsom to set fire to enemy ship at Syracuse.
    * Belly bow, demonstrated to Hart-Davies, was the first mechanical weapon and more powerful than a standard bow.
    * Communication devices, such as those reconstructed by Jopsom, allowed the secure transmission of messages.
    * Democracy was originally developed in the city of Athens visited by Cockburn.
    * The Kleroterion, reconstructed by Jopsom, secured the fair and democratic selection of juries.
    * The high-tech stagecraft of Heron of Alexandria, reconstructed by Jopsom, included the first robot, steam engine and automatic doors.
    * Ethylene was inhaled by the Oracle at Delphi, visited by Cockburn, prior to her predictions.
    * Advanced astronomical theories, explained by Hart Davies, were put forward by Pythagoras, Aristarchus of Samos and Eratosthenes.
    * Antikythera mechanism, demonstrated to Hart-Davies, was the world’s first computer.

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