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This YouTube video (in Dutch, but with English subs) is also fascinating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1ODwgX_KkQ

You can browse Tatjana van Vark's personal website here: http://www.tatjavanvark.nl/projects.html

Truly mesmerizing. I absolute love the neatness and the quality of the materials that she uses. The way the red lights on the encryption machine turn on and the bronze board itself is delightful.

Somehow the machines look like a cross between steampunk and art-deco styles. I also admire the fact that she explicitly admits that the machines are created for "nothing utilitarian", just for fun following the hacker tradition.

Every single time I see again something about the antikythera mechanism I'm blown away that the ancients greeks came up with such device.

as i understand it, the advantages of steel over brass are that it is stronger, stiffer, melts at a higher temperature, and most of all, cheaper

none of those are relevant here

the great advantage of brass over steel is that it's much easier to machine, which is relevant here

if she wanted to use materials to show off, instead of brass she'd use steel, titanium, inconel, nitinol, or granite

i don't see what could be more utilitarian than fun

Jaw-dropping craftsmanship.

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