To The Best Of Our Knowledge Deep Time: The Tyranny of Time
Jul 19, 2025
Jenny Odell, a writer and author of 'Saving Time,' discusses our cultural relationship with time and its detrimental effects on society. David Rooney, a former curator at the Royal Observatory, shares fascinating insights into the history of clocks. They explore the impact of clock time on personal well-being, rethinking productivity, and the intricate connection between time and identity. Both guests urge a shift towards a more natural understanding of time that respects deeper rhythms and encourages a healthier lifestyle.
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A Lifelong Anxiety of Running Out
- Jenny Odell shares her lifelong anxiety dream about running out of time, tied to constant urgency.
- This fight-or-flight feeling became pronounced after the 2016 election, reflecting cultural time pressure.
Time's Moral and Colonial Roots
- Our modern view of time as money and efficiency arises from historical shifts around the use of clocks and labor discipline.
- Morality, productivity, and timekeeping intertwined deeply with religious and colonial contexts.
Clocks as Tools of Power
- The Roman introduction of sundials provoked strong public backlash against segmented, controlled time.
- Timekeeping instruments have historically been tools of political power and control.
