The Antikythera mechanism and the mechanical universe

Astronomers have two approaches to trying to determine the age of the Universe. They can estimate the ages of individual objects in the Universe and specifically in our Galaxy. These estimates use either the observed properties of stars and theoretical ideas concerning stellar evolution or the abundances of long-lived radioactive isotopes and their decay products. Alternatively they can use cosmological theories and observations to try to determine the age of the entire Universe. Obviously the Universe must be older than its component parts but neither of the above methods is sufficiently reliable that this is true of the deduced ages. As a result, it is from time to time reported that some object in the Universe is older than the Universe itself. In this article we discuss the methods that are currently being used to determine the age and we emphasize the problems in obtaining reliable results. It is not at present possible to provide a definite value for the age of the Universe.