Stuff You Should Know Keeping Time
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Jan 20, 2026 Dive into the fascinating journey of timekeeping, from simple sunsticks to atomic clocks! Discover how the Egyptians and Greeks shaped early devices, and learn about Islamic astronomers who pushed for uniform hours. Explore clever innovations like water clocks, astrolabes, and ornate public timepieces. The transition to mechanical clocks brought precision, while the development of quartz and atomic clocks revolutionized our understanding of time. Lastly, trace the evolution of watches from pocket to wrist, highlighting their military significance and fashionable features.
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Curiosity Sparked The Episode
- Chuck said he got curious about hourglasses after seeing one and traced timekeeping back to seasonal tracking.
- He suspected precise minute-based appointments appeared much later in history.
Timekeeping Began With Shadows And Seasons
- Early timekeeping began with sundials and gnomons tracking shadows rather than precise hours.
- Societies initially measured seasons and celestial events more than fixed daily minutes.
Hours Varied By Season In Antiquity
- Ancient Greeks divided daytime into 12 seasonal hours, so an 'hour' length changed with the season.
- That system persisted into medieval times before uniform hours became common.