Antikythera mechanism and modern computer.
Many scientists who have worked on studying Greek's antikythera mechanism which was found in a shipwreck in early twentieth century, to be precise 1901, is considered as the world's first analogue computer..
This was used to predict the astronomical events, transits, eclipses and other planetary positions well ahead of their occurences and used for astrological purposes even decades in advance.
There are some confusions as to whether it used Greek astronomy, Egypt astronomy or Rhodes' astronomy where Archimedes lived. The twelve months given in that machine carry the Greek names but has equivalent Egyptian names also. The research on this first computer has not yet concluded, even though the machine itself has disintegrated over a period of time from the time it was discovered under the sea.
But in India from time immemorial , astronomy has been studied by great sages and used for astrological purposes. The Hindu priest class developed an almanac listing all the planetary positions including eclipses etc. with great accuracy and their effects on human lives as part of Jyotisha i.e Astrology.
I have with great amusement found that the Gregorian calendar(1582 ACE) correspond with the seven days given in ancient hindu astronomical texts and some of the 12 months are taken in their Sanskrit names. Sunday in India correspond to Bhanuvara, Monday is Somavara etc. Thirugnanasambandar of 8th century ACE, in his Kolarupathikam also mentions the same order Sun, Moon, Mars etc. which has been imported into the Gregorian calendar order of weekdays.(link)This link's gives an idea of how week days have evolved scientifically/methodically in India.
The months of September (Sapthama), October(Astama), November (Navama), December (Dasama) were originally the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th months and when Julius Caesar and Augustus added their names , these months became 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th months in Gregorian calendar.
As an Indian even though I know that these month names are Sanskrit, many western scholars say that these are Latin names and some say both Latin and Sanskrit are from a common Proto Indo-European group and the jury is still out.
The time system used today based on 60 minutes for an hour is also from India. Indian time system is always based on 60s. A day is divided into 60 ghatis and one ghati has 60 vinadis/vighatis and one vighati has 60 liptas etc. Even India has a system of cycle of 60 years at the longer end. There may be more to look at multiples of 60 to understand the time cycle methods used in India.
There are many such words like Geometry is Jamiti in Sanskrit, Tigonometry is Trikonamiti in S, smart is samarth in S etc. to name a few.
One small additional info with regard to Vaccination for small pox. Today I read from a book link "Pharmacology: Drug Actions and Reactions, Seventh Edition by R.R. Levine, C.T. Walsh, Rochelle D. Schwartz-Bloom" clearly says in Page 3 that Dhanwantri in his writings clearly mentions about vaccination for small pox.
In their analysis "Smallpox and Vaccinia-Donald A. Henderson and Bernard Moss" (Chapter 6) it is clearly mentioned that vaccination for smallpox was developed by Indians before 1000 AD and this went from India to China, Arabia etc.link
From the book of another British physician Dr. Ainslie on Small-Pox and Inoculation in Eastern Countries (pages 66-67)link , I am giving his exact quote verbatim "To substantiate the fact that the inoculation of the " cow-pox was known in remote times to the Vaidyas, it is only necessary " to refer to the Sacteya Grantha, attributed to Dhanwantari, and there " fore undoubtedly an ancient composition. In one part of the work, after " describing nine several kinds of small-pox, of which three (one alabi, " being the confluent) are declared incurable, the author proceeds to lay " down the rules for the practice of inoculation. From this part the following " two excerpts are made; of the first of which the original is given in the " English character, and with it a literal translation: of the second the original is not given, but merely the translation.
Excerpt First, from the Sacteya Grantha. " D'henu
stanya ma' suchiva naranancha, ma suchica, " Tajjalam bahu mulachcha
sastrantena gnhitavan, " Bahu mule cha sastrani ract'otpatti cariini cha,
" Tajjalam racta militam sphotaca jwara sambhavah." Translation of
the above. " Take the fluid of the cow-pox on the udder of a cow, or on
the arm " between the shoulder and the elbow of a human subject, on the
point of " a lancet, and lance with it the arms between the shoulder and
elbow " until the blood appears; then mixing the fluid with the blood, the
fever " of the small-pox will be produced.". Excerpt Second, the
Sanscrit Text being omitted. " The small-pox produced from the udder of a
cow will be of the same " gentle nature as the original disease, not
attended by fever nor requiring " medicine. The diet may be according to
the pleasure of the patient, " who may be inoculated once only, or two,
three, four, five, or six " times. The pock, when perfect, should be of a
good colour, filled with " a clear liquid, and surrounded with a circle of
red. There will then be " no fear of the small-pox so long as life
endures. When inoculated from " the udder of a cowr, some will have a
slight fever for one day, or two " or three days, and with this there will
sometimes be a slight degree of " cold fit; the fever will also be
attended by a round swelling in the arm " pit and the other symptoms of
the small-pox, but all of a very mild " nature. There will be no danger,
and the whole will disappear. (Signed) " Calvi Virambam." " Madras,
January 2d, 1819."
Many Chinese doctors in 19th and 20th century have also mentioned that this procedure might have gone from India to China, to Arabia and to Europe. But not all western scholars still do not believe or subscribe to this view.Many of them still say that either this could have gone from China or from Arabia to India and not the other way around!!
Finally one word about Al-Khwarizmi of Persia(from whose name the word " Algorithm" is derived),who has been credited as the founder of Algebra. What he started writing was" kitab al-jam' wa'l-tafriq al-ḥisāb al-hindī ('Addition and subtraction in Indian arithmetic')", actually learning it from India and he acknowledged it, but Western world is still not convinced ,even after Brahmagupta's phenomenal work became known.
Has Ramanujam's contribution to modern maths and even to Banking(?)(ATM machines) been fully acknowledged. Experts can inform me about this.
Finally one word about Al-Khwarizmi of Persia(from whose name the word " Algorithm" is derived),who has been credited as the founder of Algebra. What he started writing was" kitab al-jam' wa'l-tafriq al-ḥisāb al-hindī ('Addition and subtraction in Indian arithmetic')", actually learning it from India and he acknowledged it, but Western world is still not convinced ,even after Brahmagupta's phenomenal work became known.
Has Ramanujam's contribution to modern maths and even to Banking(?)(ATM machines) been fully acknowledged. Experts can inform me about this.
Only Voltaire clearly said " I am convinced that everything has come down to us from the banks of the Ganges, – astronomy, astrology, metempsychosis, etc... It is very important to note that some 2,500 years ago at the least Pythagoras went from Samos to the Ganges to learn geometry...But he would certainly not have undertaken such a strange journey had the reputation of the Indians' science not been long established in Europe."
Let me rest my case!
