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Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) Collaborates with International Research Group To Exclusively Present New Model of “World’s First Computer” Antikythera Mechanism to American Children

CMOM Announces Plans for National Exhibition and Educational Project on Ancient Greece

New York, NY, December 1, 2006 – A team of top European scientists, collectively comprising the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, today announced its exclusive partnership with the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) to reconstruct a new model of the Antikythera Mechanism, known in scientific circles as the “world’s first computer.” CMOM will be the first to showcase and interpret the Antikythera Mechanism for a family audience in the United States and the first to present the newest findings on this mysterious artifact in New York.

During a highly anticipated two-day conference in Athens, Greece, held on Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, researchers from the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project presented their latest research on the Antikythera Mechanism, a remarkable astrological and mathematical device that dates back to 80-100 BC. Employing technology developed by HP Labs (USA) to decipher hidden inscriptions on the Mechanism’s surface for the first time and computed tomography by X-Tek Systems (UK), this team of Greek and British scientists is among the first to study the functions and purpose of this often-analyzed ancient Greek device using the latest technology and by challenging previous research.

Collaborating with CMOM, the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project has agreed to provide exclusive images, insight, and information for CMOM’s Gods, Myths, and Mortals: Discover Ancient Greece exhibit, which will open in May 2007. Through this artifact, CMOM will present the role of Ancient Greece as the birthplace of the scientific process to the thousands of future scientists, mathematicians, engineers and historians that will experience this interactive journey.

“My colleagues and I applaud CMOM for its work on behalf of children in America and we are very excited to help introduce the Mechanism to an American family audience. Astronomy is a great attractor to science and math and this will be a great attractor to children,” said Dr. Xenophon Moussas, Astrophysicist and Associate Professor in Space Physics and Director of Astrophysics Laboratory at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Considered the most sophisticated known device from the Greek classical world, the Antikythera Mechanism, whose fragments are housed at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, was recovered (from an ancient shipwreck) in 1901 by sponge divers near the island of Antikythera, Greece. Originally containing 30 bronze wheels and dials, the Antikythera Mechanism is now understood as an astronomical tool that operated as a complex mechanical “computer,” tracking the cycles of the Solar System. While many scientists have, over the years, offered revealing glimpses into the remarkable operation and movements of the few dozen gears, the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project represents a dramatic shift in understanding the functions of those movements.

“The Antikythera Mechanism may truly be seen as the very beginning of science as we know it,” said Andrew Ackerman, Executive Director of CMOM. “Just as the Greeks gave us some of the top intellectual, astronomical, and mathematical minds, Dr. Moussas and his team are giving the children of New York a priceless scientific and educational gift. The Antikythera Mechanism will help make Gods, Myths, and Mortals a wholly unique and entirely unforgettable experience.”

The Antikythera Mechanism is but one component of CMOM’s ambitious project that will immerse children and families in the world of Ancient Greece. From a challenging journey along the path followed by Odysseus, from the walls of Troy to his home in Ithaca, to a gymnasium where children learned to write and develop Olympic skills – the exhibition and its series of public programs will be a one-of-a kind educational and interactive odyssey.

CMOM’s Gods, Myths, and Mortals: Discover Ancient Greece exhibition will remain in New York City for eighteen months before beginning a four-year national tour.

About The Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Founded in 1973, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is New York City’s leading cultural institution dedicated solely to kids and families. CMOM inspires children and their families to learn about themselves and a culturally diverse world through unique interactive exhibitions. CMOM presents a full range of activities, exhibits, and special performances that stimulate children of all ages. Through multidimensional programs that reach deep into the community, the Museum serves New Yorkers from all backgrounds. www.cmom.org

About The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project
The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project’s mission is to organize, gather and present new data and research on the Mechanism by using the latest technologies while challenging the assumptions of previous research. The Project team consists of leading astronomer Mike Edmunds, mathematician Tony Freeth (University of Cardiff, UK); astronomer Dr. Xenophon Moussas and physicist Yannis Bitsakis (University of Athens); astronomer John Seiradakis (University of Thessalonica) and philologist and palaeographer Agamemnon Tselikas (National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation). www.antikythera-mechanism.gr.