Very often we can hear a statement "time flies". Have you ever wondered what is "time" anyway and how can it fly?
By definition "time is a one-dimensional quantity used to sequence events, to quantify the durations of events and the intervals between them, and (used together with space) to quantify and measure the motions of objects". Time adds a fourth dimension to our 3d world.
Worth noting is that time measurements are one of the biggest achievements done by humanity.
Let us leave our synchronized over the internet clocks and move back in time to the beginning of calendar.
History of the calendar
As with everything it is always easier to start with bigger things and slowly focus on details. With regard to time calendars and the first to be developed. Around 20,000 years ago first lunar calendars are made. They are based on cycles of the moon (lunar phases), have 12 or 13 months and are quite inaccurate. Every few years some extra days or months had to be added to stop seasons drift away.In 45BC the Roman empire adopted a new calendar, whose dates indicate the position of the Earth on its revolution around the sun. The solar calendar was less faulty but still the error was around 11 minutes per year.
To fix this problem Pope Gregory XIII introduced in 1583 a correction creating, the same creating a new calendar - the Gregorian calendar. The same we are using every day. Each year has exactly 365 days, 5 hours 49 minutes and 12 seconds. Moreover day counts completely repeat every 400 years.
While at the topic of calendars, in religions we can divide them into two groups: linear and cyclical. In Christianity time is linear meaning things are happening one after another and do not repeat.
However Mayan, Incan, Babylonian, Ancient Greek, Buddhism, Hindu cultures introduce a concept of a wheel of time. In short it means that ages repeat for every living being. life > death >life > death. Think of reincarnation. Apocalyptic theories misinterpret Mayan calendar, it is not ending, it is finishing a full cycle.
Below there is a photo of my Mayan calendar carved in obsidian which I bought during my trip to Mexico.
Since we know how to count days it is good to divide them even further to be more specific when we are trying to schedule a meeting. Instead of saying "let's meet when the sun is the highest" it is far more specific to say "let's meet at 12.00".
A sundial is one of the most basic devices to keep track on time. Basing on the suns position the shade indicates the hour on the markings. Quite convienient but it doesn't work on a cloudy day. However if you combine a sundial with a hourglass you can maintain time observations.
Chronometers were a true revolution in time measurement devices. Balance wheels and spiral springs made it possible to achieve good precision. Quartz clocks brought it to a next level of accuracy. Based on a known resonance frequency of quartz crystal (32,786Hz) it keeps track of time.
Swiss watches are known to be the best. A Swiss organization - COSC is responsible for certifying the accuracy and precision of wristwatches in Switzerland. According to its standards daily error is -4/+6 seconds for mechanical and +- 0,07 seconds for quartz mechanisms.
Atomic clocks research started in mid 1950s. Chip scaled atomic clock error rate is 1 second in 300 years. Quantum clock which was presented in March 2008 is the most accurate till date. Its error would exceed a second over a billion of years!
You can always check if your watch is showing the right time by visiting http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/europe/european-union/poland/time/ for the most up to date time.
Time zones
Questions
Do you know any other devices to measure time?
Recently we set our clocks one hour backwards, why?
Surveys show that fewer and fewer people wear wrist watches, what is causing this trend?
1. I remember, that in ancient times people used also a water chronometers. Also, there is a sandglass - sometimes people use it when boiling eggs ;)
ReplyDelete2. Setting clocks one hour backwards starts I think at the beginning of XX century. It was started because of economy - supposedly setting clocks one hour backwards causes that daylight during the summer is better exploited. I think taht it is stupid :/
3. Fewer people use wirts watches, because they always have their mobile phones. Wirst watches are now most likely jewllery, i.e: http://artlantyda.pl/shop/products/zegarek-miedz-i-piasek-pustyni
Nice piece, isn't it?
Sandglass is a hourglass :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that the time change is a bit stupid. I don't know in what way it is supposed to save daylight especially when it is getting dark one hour earlier now (before 5p.m)
1. There is one great device: children of your friends. When you meet them once a year or less frequently you can see a passage of time ;-)
ReplyDelete2. 50 years ago there were proportionally more people working since very early morning hours. Now it's changed, because percent of farmers and factories' physical workers is smaller. Therefore I think that we don't safe so much sunlight any more.
Apart from those you listed I knew those from comments;) I can't recall anything else.
ReplyDeleteAs you all said- time change isn't necessary anymore, but because people got used to it, I don't think it might be removed in the nearest future.
Wrist watches became more a decoration, accessory, jewellery. Now time is projected almost everywhere- our cells, in buses, underground,music players so we don't need to wear wrist watches all the time.
In every culture there were different ways to measure the time, but most of them had something in common. Sun, growing plants period, etc.
ReplyDeleteChanging the time is a quite new habit and not every country accept that (in Europe - Iceland). Time changing is due to better sun-light consumption.
Wearing wristwatch is a kind of showing financial status and economic position.
“Show me your watch and I will tell you who you are” – there are many books describing the ways of making successful business. According that we have to have three things to successfully sign a big contract or to make a good business. Three things that showing others what businessman you are. 1st is a pen, 2nd is a wristwatch, 3rd is a mobile phone.
1. I've heard of devices such as sand hourglass, sundials or clocks fire. Once the running time was measured by the observations of the sun.
ReplyDelete2. Why? Maybe it is to sleep longer? Maybe we set our clocks back one hour because it makes big energy savings. People get up and go to bed an hour earlier.
3. People are less likely to wear watches, because the majority of the population uses mobile phones that also have the option of measuring time . Women prefer to wear something more showy like jewelry in a place of a watch.
1. I know only watches and clocks to measure the time. Maybe somewhere people know more devices but i think that in our present world this two devices are the most popular. And also the most precision. Of course we can say about solar watches which we can find on the old buildings but actually nobody use them. It is archaic.
ReplyDelete2. People say that we set our clocks one hour backwards because it should save our money. Applying the change of time we use less power. Personally i don't believe in this theory.
3. I don't agree with this opinion. Watches are trendy and a lot of people wearing it.
The only other device to measure time that I can think of is a sandglass, but I only used it a few times mostly for fun. We set our watches one hour back to save on electricity which in turn saves money. People nowadays wear wrist watches less frequently than thirty years ago, but personally I can't imagine not wearing one.
ReplyDeleteOn one movie i sow that peopel use the cigarett to messure time. I' really don't focus on that me move our clock one hour back. May by people have a sellphone so they don't need a wirst wach.
ReplyDeleteYou can also check the time by punching a stick in the ground and, referring to the north to determine the current time.
ReplyDeletePeople do not need to wear watches because the clock can be found in almost every place where people stay. Currently watches we have in our phones and other gadgets on the market. Why wear a watch in this case? the answer is simple - because it is part of our image.
1)Do you know any other devices to measure time?
ReplyDeleteOn this time I cant remind another devices to measure time,every which I know was mentioned in
presentations,Every from them are common for any populations.
2)Recently we set our clocks one hour backwards, why?
Changing of time is caused of change time from summer time on winter time
It is very needful to save sun light.
3)Surveys show that fewer and fewer people wear wrist watches, what is causing this trend?
People use to wear watches on wrist because they treat it as some kind of decorations or just
like it and would like to know time in every moment ,such solutions is very confortable ,many
people use their phone to check hour but I prefer watch on wrist .