by Philip Ball
The British Museum needs £350,000 to secure this astrolabe.Museums, Libraries and Archives Council The fate of a fourteenth-century pocket calculator is hanging in the balance between museum ownership and private sale.
The device is a brass astrolabe quadrant that opens a new window on the mathematical and astronomical literacy of the Middle Ages, experts say. It can tell the time from the position of the Sun, calculate the heights of tall objects, and work out the date of Easter.
Found in 2005, the instrument has captivated experts. Now they hope to keep it in public hands — not just to ensure future access to it for researchers, but because it is deemed an item of national cultural importance.
Rerad the rest on Nature.
# Posted by Michelle Moran @ |
Friday, April 04, 2008