Recognised as the founder of mathematical mechanics (and a good friend of Plato), Archytas dabbled in everything from maths to astronomy to philosophy. But his claim to fame? Inventing "The Pigeon" - the world's first self-propelled bird machine. Because, you know, in 300 BC people were still scratching their heads over how birds flew.

So Archytas built a massive hollow pigeon with wings and a pointy beak, complete with a steam-powered boiler inside. As the boiler produced steam, the pressure built up until it exceeded the connection's mechanical resistance. Then, the bird was ready for takeoff.

The result? A soaring flight of 200 metres, proving that even in ancient times, curiosity and a knack for tinkering could lead to some seriously epic bird-watching.

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