Early Precision Compound Machines
Distinctive spiral grooves carved on ritual jade rings buried in tombs dating from China’s Spring and Autumn period (771–475 BC) follow a precise mathematical form described by the spiral of Archimedes, 300 years before he lived. My work has demonstrated that the precise drafting would have required a precision compound machine in 550 BC, making it the first machine to precisely interconvert linear and rotational motion by half a millennium. I also propose a basic mechanical design relying only upon technologies known to have existed at that time.
Highlight: My discovery was included in the 2005 Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year [ pdf ]
Related Links
- Original research paper in Science [ pdf ] [ supporting online material ]
- Video of machine reconstruction [ QuickTime (13 MB) ]
- Description in the 2005 Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year [ pdf | online link ]
- Chinese translation of Science paper [ pdf ]
Media Coverage
- Interview on The History Channel (USA, 13 Dec 2004) [ wmv (10 MB) ]
- Complexity (USA, October 2004) [ pdf ]
- Abenteuer Archaologie (Germany, 3Q 2004) [ pdf ]
- Scientific American (Japan, September 2004) [ pdf ]
- Popular Mechanics (USA, September 2004) [ pdf ]
- La Recherche (France, September 2004) [ pdf ]
- Atlas Geographic (Turkey, September 2004) [ pdf ] [ link ]
- Scientific American (Taiwan, September 2004) [ pdf ]
- Scientific American (USA, August 2004) [ pdf ]
- BBC News (UK, 10 June 2004)
- Harvard Gazette (USA, 17 June 2004)
- New Scientist (USA, 10 June 2004)
- Nature (UK, 7 June 2004)
- Popular Mechanics (USA, September 2004)
- Wissenschaft.de (Germany, 11 June 2004)
- Corriere Della Sera (Italy, 11 June 2004)
- Historic.ru (Russia, 11 June 2004)
- Illustreret Videnskab (Denmark, September 2004)