Dirt Nap City - The Most Interesting Dead People In History

Sundials - Telling Time Before Clocks


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In this Dirt Nap City Dead End, Kelly and Alex delve into the fascinating history of the sundial, an ancient and ingenious technology that once served as humanity's primary timekeeping device. We explore the ingenious principles behind how sundials work, from the basic gnomon casting a shadow to the intricate designs of elaborate astronomical clocks.

But why don't we rely on sundials today? In this episode, we'll examine the limitations of this ancient technology, including its dependence on sunlight, its inaccuracy during cloudy conditions, and its inability to keep time consistently across different locations and seasons. We'll also discuss the rise of more accurate and reliable timekeeping methods, such as mechanical clocks and atomic clocks, that ultimately superseded the sundial.

Join us for a captivating exploration of this ancient technology and its enduring legacy, as we learn about the ingenuity of our ancestors and the remarkable progress of timekeeping throughout human history.

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Dirt Nap City - The Most Interesting Dead People In HistoryBy Dirt Nap City

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