The LEGO Antikythera Mechanism

Toys are never just toys. (Ask any agency with a foosball table.)



What you're looking at is a fully functioning Antikythera Mechanism, built with LEGO blocks.

The Antikythera Mechanism was built in Greece around 100 BC and is the oldest-known scientific computer. It was recovered from a shipwreck in 1901, but it took over a century to fully understand its purpose. The machine is an astonomical clock that determines the positions of celestial bodies with a precision that can only be described as pristine. In the example above, you'll see that it can predict a solar eclipse in 2024 down to the half-hour.

I'm reminded of a geeky quote from Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (highly recommended): "What the body creates is as much an expression of its DNA as the body itself."

What are we expressing? What are we playing with?

The Future of Tech Looks Suspiciously Like a Yoga Mat.

German designer Orkin released a concept video of the Rolltop, a touchscreen computer whose surface consists of little more than a segmentable OLED screen.

In addition to sitting vertically and serving as a laptop, it can be straightened, turned on its side and used as an entertainment system. When not in use, the whole thing rolls away and can be carried on your back.

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