DiscoverMath! Science! History!The History of Time: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks
The History of Time: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks

The History of Time: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks

Update: 2025-09-02
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Description

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:

🔗 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

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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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The History of Time: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks

The History of Time: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks

Gabrielle Birchak