Computing through the Ages: From Bones to Binary

“The discovery both of [geometry] and of the other sciences proceeded from utility.”—Proclus Lycius, Greek philosopher, fifth century CE

“Geometry is the knowledge of the eternally existent.”—Plato, Republic, ca. 380 BCE

Ancient peoples around the world navigated the seas, built wonders of engineering, and measured time with amazing precision. How were they able to do all of this without calculators or digital computers? One technology made it all possible: computing.

The earliest evidence of ...