The Famous Antikythera Mechanism Was a Mechanical Disaster, New Research Suggests Researchers simulated the device's ancient gear system to find out whether the contraption actually worked.

Researchers have created a computational model of the Antikythera mechanism to test how it worked. It was prone to jamming and break down.

The Antikythera mechanism, a mysterious ancient Greek device that is often called the world’s first computer, may not have functioned at all, according to a simulation of its workings.