Archimedes

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ITALY * SICILY * apartment in ancient quarter of Siracusa (Sicily) 2bd

I am a professor of Sicily History who teaches half the year in the SF Bay Area. For the other half of the year, my apartment is available for vacation rental. Siracusa (Syracuse) was one of the greatest ancient Greek cities, with a fabulous history that includes Plato, Archimedes, and Santa Lucia. I live in the ancient district of Syracuse, called Ortigia, a pedestrian quarter with charming streets (still laid out on the Greek city plan of 5th Century BC), great restaurants and cafès. It is the most intact ancient city center in Italy; see for yourself: just Google 'Ortigia'. Mediterranean swimming right around the corner from my door (swimming season lasts to November). Totally renovated apartment on a small piazza w/ 13th Century church. Quiet piazza w/ no through traffic. Apartment fully functional: 5 rooms + bathroom. High quality kitchen w/ gas stove, full fridge, & marble counters. Stone floors throughout. One double bed, 2 single beds (& futon available if desired). Good high-speed DSL, telephone, & fair cell phone reception. Corner groceries & lively open street market nearby. No terrace, but little balcony w/ view over piazza & ancient church. No TV, video or DVD player, since this is a place for walking ancient streets, watching life go past in cafès, swimming in the sea, or taking day trips to Taormina, Agrigento, Etna, and all of eastern Sicily. 200 euro / week

Was ancient Greek 'calculator' used to teach astronomy?

Inscriptions on a 2000-year-old clockwork device suggest it was inspired by earlier devices made by the great Greek mathematician Archimedes

'Mythbusters' Want You -- to Test the Archimedes Death Ray

The Mythbusters are doing a do-over of their attempt to vet of the world's oldest tales ? did the Greek scientist Archimedes set fire to a Roman fleet of ships using only mirrors and sunlight? Their first attempt was ... inconclusive. Now they are drawing on the crowd (300 hearty souls, to be exact) for a new try in September. One of them could be you.

Today on Boing Boing Gadgets

Today on Boing Boing Gadgets, we played with a cheap retro console clone; imagined riding the NOAH concept monocycle; listened as a Roboclarinet played "Flight of the Bumblebee"; and gaped at Dell's sudden interest in good industrial design. John explored a server room built into ladies' room's handicapped stall by cassette-tape lamp-light; Rob tallied Sir James Dyson's awesomeness index; and Joel found a tiny universal remote. A pistol camera shoots while you shoot; a new Vertu phone design looks like an ugly shoe; HP Touchsmart IQ506 is not an iMaclone; and Akai's latest MIDI machines look cool?and expensive! If you're boring, try Archimedes' Drill. If you're wanting turn-by-turn directions, Apple would like a word with you. John's destiny is found in the Boom Arm Starbase Workstation; Joel, however, is doomed to slay Nerf werewolves and vampires forever; Rob shall obliterate the need for universal remotes. Only Intel did anything sensible: it's saying no way to Vista....