Day 6

We started the day by going to the Attica Zoological Park. We saw a phenomenal dolphin show and were able to walk through certain enclosures and get up close and personal with the animals. We learned some stats and data about the animals that we hope to share with our Mathletes team members to see what kinds of problems they can develop from the information. After the zoo we went to the Panathenaic Stadium, which was the site for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. It was built in the 6th century BC and is the only stadium in the world built entirely out of marble. We took an audio tour of the stadium and were able to enter the tunnel that the athletes would have come out of. The tunnel/cave is now a museum that houses the Olympic torches from all the modern era Olympic games. We were able to stand on the podium and take in the sheer size of this massive structure around us. In addition to hosting the first modern Olympics, this site was also used for the archery competition and as the finish line for the marathon for the 2004 Olympic games in Athens. We took a walk to the Herakleidon Science, Art, and Mathematics Museum and then to the National Archaeological Museum. We saw countless marble statues and relics from every era, all found locally around Athens. It was remarkable to think they found these ancient pieces right on the grounds of the temples we walked on the day before. The National Archaeological Museum also housed what is considered the world's first computer, known as the Antikythera Mechanism. It was found in a shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera in 1904 and is estimated to be from 150-100 BC. The artifact is comprised of 82 fragments and was used to document the movement of the sun, moon, and planets. It was also used to predict solar and lunar eclipses as well as to signal when the next Olympic games would be. Since its discovery, scientists and engineers have dedicated their lives to learning more about this computer and to build working replicas, some of which were also on display. We ate dinner on the rooftop of our hotel with an amazing view overlooking the Acropolis with the Parthenon lit up at night.