Math! Science! History!

The History of Time: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks


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Time feels natural, but the way we measure it is entirely human-made. From Mesopotamian star charts and Egyptian solar calendars to Roman reforms, medieval clock towers, and modern atomic precision, this episode explores how we constructed the framework of time itself.

3 Timeless Takeaways:

  1. How ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt laid the foundations for calendars and timekeeping.
  2. Why the Babylonians chose base-60 and how it still shapes our clocks today.
  3. How mechanical clocks, trains, and atomic physics transformed time into the precise system we live by.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

  • More on the Sexagesimal System: My eponymic contribution to Sexagesimal math - Math! Science! History!™
  • Leap Year, Caesar's Propaganda, and a New Calendar: Leap Year, Caesar's propaganda, and a new calendar - Math! Science! History!™
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on Atomic Time: https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division

🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h

🌍 Let's Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory

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  • Music: All music is public domain and has no copyright and rights reserved.
  • Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers
  • Travelling and Discovering by Musinova from Pixabay
  • Lake of Light by Vinsvept from Pixabay
  • Orlando Gibbons (bap.1583-1625) - Galliard à3, for Treble & Bass Viols with Great Bass,
  • Dr. Phillip W. Serna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Deafening Bounce Groove by Rockot from Pixabay

Until next time, carpe diem!

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Math! Science! History!By Gabrielle Birchak

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