47: The Antikythera Mechanism (ft. David's Dad, Marc Spira)

In the early 1900s, a crew of sponge divers off the coast of Greece stumbled onto a 2,000-year-old shipwreck and the world's first known analog computer. Talk about buried treasure... this ancient technological marvel sat abandoned and undisturbed in a warehouse for years before someone noticed the strange assortment of gears and discs.

It wasn't until as recently as 2010 that modern imaging allowed us to discover the purpose of this mechanism. It mapped the solar system, tracking things like eclipses and movement of the planets. It could even indicate the four-year cycle of the ancient Olympic Games.

For a special Father's Day episode, we're digging into the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient Greek device so far ahead of its time that nobody believed the ancient world could have built it. Joining us is a very special guest: Marc Spira, financial services professional, lifelong diver, and most importantly, David's dad.

Today's game is Buried Treasure, where two clues lead to the same word, except one of them is hiding an extra letter. Fish it out, bank it, and find out what's buried once all the letters surface.

Full Show Notes

Production Credits

Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira

Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Theresa Piazza

Supported by Lisa Spira

Edited by Peih-Gee Law

Music by Matt Farthing

Logo by Theresa Wagner