Time

Monday, 15 November 2004

A broken alarm clock is the perfect tool to measure time.

It can even replace a calender. That seems a thesis which is hard to defend. Still, give me a chance to try.

For a start, why is there a mismatch between

In the old days, when trees still spoke, everything was simple. I hear you think: Hey, isn't that the current situation? No, too bad, we just pretend. Are these rubber time units a problem? No, not al all, as precise time is totally irrelevant for most of us.

Broken alarm clock

So, are you the exeption that needs accurate time measurement? Use a broken alarm clock:
  1. Use a string to hang it in the sun.
  2. Watch its shadow.
  3. The shortest shadow marks the middle of the day.
  4. The day with the shortest shadow of the year marks start of summer.
    From now on we will have leap days on 20½ June, followed by 21 June as the longest day.
The thesis at the start of this story holds.

A broken alarm clock is the perfect tool to measure time.

Till next nut,
Nut

Thanks to Gerben Nooyen for our inspring discussion of time