1.) "Where the Zend tongue is not contaminated by Greek"
Borges' reference to the "Zend" language appears to be a reference to Zand, a language rooted in ancient Persian. Also known as Avestan, Zand is an exegetical or religious language used in Zoroastrian scripture, suggesting that the silent man in "The Circular Ruins" is a follower of an ancient pre-Biblical faith... or perhaps even an ancient god himself.
Read about, or learn, the Avestan Language at Encyclopædia Iranica.
2.) "Complex machines"
One of the most interesting historical figures from Ancient Alexandria is Hero, or Heron, of Alexandria. A Greek mathematician and engineer who invented, among many other things, the one of the earliest steam engine, a Holy Water vending machine and pneumatic pumps and lifts. All this, around the purported time of Christ.
Learn more about Hero of Alexandria at Wikipedia.
3.) "30 Days Lost In Space."
This is a great introduction to programing with Arduino IDE. It provides the hardware, wiring, board, and other gadgets, along with a 30-day course to introduce learners to the system from the ground up. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can take advantage of this course whether you're new to tech or an old vet.
Take a look at "30 Days Lost In Space" at their webpage.
4.) The Arduino Board
The "brain" of my little project, is the Arduino UNO board. It thinks so I don't have to, and best of all it understands my lingo "Arduino IDE." It's a cool little device that retails at a very affordable price for just how powerful it is.
If you're interested, you can purchase an Arduino, here.