Ctesibius of Alexandria

Ctesibius of Alexandria, was a Greek inventor and mathematician from the 3rd century BCE. He is often hailed as the father of pneumatics and a pioneer in hydraulics. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, he flourished around 285–222 BCE. His most notable contributions include advancements in hydraulic engineering and pneumatics. Ctesibius is credited with inventing the hydraulis, the earliest form of the pipe organ. He made improvements to the water clock, which for more than 1, 800 years remained as the most accurate clock yet. He is also considered the discoverer of the siphon principle.

Guy 1: Hey, that's a cool piano you have.
Guy 2: Actually this is a "hydraulis"!
Guy 1: What.
Guy 2: It was invented by Ctesibius of Alexandria back in ancient Greece!
Guy 1: What.
Guy 2: The piano only got invented in 1698 by Bartolomeo Cristofori!
Guy 1: I don't wanna be friends anymore.

by Treble Clef Maniac July 2, 2024

The burning of the Library of Alexandria

A term used to refer to a large amount of (presumably important) information being permanently lost.

P1: did you hear about imgur banning porn? It's the burning of the Library of Alexandria over there

by moosetwin April 24, 2024