Ancient Engineering

Game Theory for Humans

1 June 2024·1411 words·7 mins

Human Systems and Behavior Ancient Engineering High-Tech Warfare Military Secrets Byzantine Strategy Decision-Making and Bias Systems Thinking Social Dynamics

Discover five counter-intuitive secrets of ancient military engineering: Byzantine state secrets protected by angels, artillery built with cubic equations, and organic materials that outperform modern steel.

The Gearwork Prophets: Mechanical Minds Before the Machine Age

4 March 2020·251 words·2 mins

Systems and Innovation Ancient Engineering Mechanical Computation Automation Astronomical Instruments Differential Gears Technological History Innovation History

Exploring the sophisticated mechanical inventions of ancient civilizations, from the Antikythera Mechanism to Zhang Heng's seismoscope, revealing a lost tradition of mechanical computation and automation.

The Gravity Engine: Ancient Water Systems That Shaped Civilization

25 January 2020·225 words·2 mins

Systems and Innovation Ancient Engineering Water Management Climate Control Sustainable Technology Hydraulics Thermal Systems Innovation History Sustainability Technological History

Exploring how ancient civilizations engineered sophisticated water management and climate control systems, from Persian qanats to Roman hypocausts, offering timeless lessons for sustainable technology.

The Gravity Engine - Part 1: Qanat: The Gravity-Fed Engine of Persian Oases

25 January 2020·818 words·4 mins

Systems and Innovation Qanat Water Management Ancient Engineering Sustainability Innovation History Sustainability Technological History

How Persian qanat systems delivered water across arid landscapes using gravity.

↑