99% Invisible

Matters of Time

May 19, 2021

This conversation features Joe Rosenberg, a producer who shares the quirky history of "knocker-uppers," human alarm clocks from 19th-century Britain. Vivian Lay discusses the ramifications of China's single time zone on the Uyghur population, blending cultural insights with political implications. Chris Berube tackles the ongoing debates surrounding daylight saving time, unpacking its myths and historical controversies. Together, they challenge our understanding of time and its profound impact on daily life and identity.

53:37

Creator website

Episode guests

Chris Berube

Vivian Lay

Joe Rosenberg

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Timekeepers and the Rise of Standardized Time

9min

Cultural Obsession with Precision in Timekeeping

2min

The Vanishing Art of Knocker Uppers

5min

The Politics of Time: Uyghurs and Time Zones in Xinjiang

15min

Timekeeping's Impact on Identity and Reality

2min

Debunking Daylight Saving Time

14min

The Time Zone Debate: Past and Present

3min

Behind the Scenes at 99% Invisible

2min

For the most part, we take time for granted; maybe we don’t have enough of it, but we at least know how it works --- well, most of the time. A lot of what we think about time is relatively recent, and some of what we take for granted isn't quite as universal as one might think. This series of time-centric stories challenges what you know (or think you know) about the way time works around the world.

Matters of Time

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