This traditional portrait of Athanasius Kircher gives his age as 76. The engraver has emphasized the energy in Kircher’s inquiring eyes. A professor of eloquence in Rome added the flowery inscription: “The painter or poet would declare only in error: ‘This is the man.’ But the farthest Antipodes know his name and face.”

Above, a detail from a page in Athanasius Kircher’s “Musurgia Universalis,” printed in 1650. A large part of the book is devoted to the history of instrumentation, including the anatomy of voice and hearing, and an extensive theory on acoustics entitled ‘Magia Phonocamptica, sive de Echo’, in which he described sound as ‘the ape of light.’

Invented device for the deaf and a megaphone. Described the phosphorescence and fluorescence. Designed magnetic watch.

Made some music of hydraulic machines.  Has constructed the prototype of the synthesizer, which it was possible to obtain different timbres of wind, string instruments and noise, as well as programmed melodies within the scale tool.

The first used a microscope to examine the blood of patients with plague, and came to the conclusion that the disease is caused by microorganisms.  He also suggested that effective measures to combat the disease – isolation, quarantine, burning clothes and diseased wearing protective masks.

Descended into the crater of the volcano Etna on Sicily. Created the theory of volcanism and water circulation within the body of the Earth.

Invented the world’s first projector, and includes a light source, and a slide, and an optical system, and the screen .

To study the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs taught Syriac, Chaldean, Arabic and Coptic.

In fact, opened for Christian Kabbalah – presenting an image kabbalah  sefirot of the tree is in the form in which it would be accessible and understandable to Christian readers.

Released the “Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Chinese Empire,” which summarized all the information known about China – Kircher was in correspondence with more than 760 scientists.

Created the “machine metaphor”.

Calculated that if the Tower of Babel reach the sky, she would have turned the Earth. Calculated the size of Noah’s Ark .

During the 30-year war against the Protestants fled first to Avignon, and then to Rome. Has published 40 books: arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, algebra, the theory of logarithms, Astronomy, Chronograph, geography, acoustics, and anaclastics catoptrics, mechanics, statics, hydrology, hydraulic engineering, pyrotechnics, cryptography, fortification, topography, chemistry, architecture, construction mechanics , music, telescopes, microscopes, magnets and their properties, fluid bodies, machines, pneumatic machines, diving bells, military tactics and strategy, and so on.