Project Gutenberg
2009-09-16
Public domain in the USA.
551
Price, Derek J. de Solla (Derek John de Solla)
1922
1983
Price, Derek John de Solla
On the Origin of Clockwork, Perpetual Motion Devices, and the Compass
Produced by Chris Curnow, Turgut Dincer, Joseph Cooper and
the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net.
"On the Origin of Clockwork, Perpetual Motion Devices, and the Compass" by Derek J. de Solla Price is a scientific publication written in the mid-20th century. This work delves into the historical development and origin of various mechanical devices, including clocks and compasses, highlighting their evolution over two millennia across different cultures. Price aims to clarify misconceptions and establish a more cohesive understanding of how these technological advancements arose and influenced each other. At the start of the work, the author introduces the complexity of tracing the origins of mechanical clocks and the magnetic compass, revealing how common misunderstandings have perpetuated inaccuracies in their histories. He argues against the traditional view that simpler timekeeping devices like sundials directly led to the mechanical clock, proposing instead that they evolved from sophisticated astronomical models developed in ancient cultures. The opening sets the stage for a comprehensive examination of the technological progression from early gearing in different civilizations to the intricate mechanics of clocks and the interplay with concepts like perpetual motion and magnetism. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
http://book.klll.cc/files/30001/30001-h/images/cover.jpg
Reading ease score: 57.2 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
en
Clocks and watches
Horology
Q
TS
Text
Technology
Manufacturing
Category: History - Other
Category: Engineering & Technology
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