Time’s Mysteries Part I: Marking Time

Time’s a mystery, yet we’ve invented clever ways to capture it. From sundials to atomic clocks, trace the history of time-keeping. Also, discover the surprising accuracy of nature’s dating schemes - from the decay of carbon to laying down tree rings.

Plus, why the "New York minute," stretches to hours in Rio de Janeiro: cultural differences in the perception of time.

Guests:

* Chris Turney - Geologist at the University of Exeter, UK, and the author of Bones, Rocks and Stars: The Science of When Things Happened
* Demetrios Matsakis - Head of the U.S. Naval Observatory’s Time Service
* Steven Jefferts - Physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado
* Robert Levine - Psychologist at California State University in Fresno and the author of The Geography of Time
* Norman Mohr - Owner, Mohr Clocks, Mountain View, California

Also huffduffed as…

  1. Time’s Mysteries Part I: Marking Time

    —Huffduffed by Clampants on November 21st, 2008

Possibly related…

  1. Time Lords: The Science of Keeping Time | StarTalk Radio Show by Neil deGrasse Tyson

    The Nerdist Chris Hardwick and his trusty sidekick Matt Mira provide Dr. Who references and some timely humor for our show about clocks, calendars, and leaps in time. Anthony Aveni, professor of astronomy and anthropology at Colgate University, reveals whether the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world in 2012, and provides insight into how early clocks and calendars were based not only on the Moon and Sun, but on Earth’s biology. Frank Reed, instructor of celestial navigation at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, and Robert Seaman, computer programmer for the National Optical Astronomy Observatories, talk about why leap seconds are added to our fast-paced modern lives, and contemplate the future of time synchronization. From keeping Universal Time, to neutrinos that may travel faster than light, to geo-engineering the Earth into a global clock, take some time to consider how science sets the tempo of our past, present and future.

    http://www.startalkradio.net/?p=323

    —Huffduffed by johnppinto one year ago

  2. In Our Time With Melvyn Bragg: Measurement of Time

    The history of ideas discussed by Melvyn Bragg and guests including Philosophy, science, literature, religion and the influence these ideas have on us today.

    Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the measurement of time. Early civilisations used the movements of heavenly bodies to tell the time, then mechanical clocks emerged in Europe in the medieval period. For hundreds of years clocks were inaccurate but now atomic clocks are capable of keeping time to a second in 15 million years. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Kristen Lippincott, Former Director of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich; Jim Bennett, Director of the Museum of the History of Science at the University of Oxford and Jonathan Betts, Senior Curator of Horology at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/iot

    —Huffduffed by adactio one year ago

  3. Clocks ticking and chiming in Blickling Hall

    Here’s one of the tracks from the free National Trust album: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-events-sounds/

    —Huffduffed by hickensian 2 years ago