Stephen Hawking Unveils "Time Eater" Clock

gyrogeerloose writes "Stephen Hawking unveiled an unsettling clock in Cambridge on Friday. Designed by John Taylor — a British horologist and inventor whose thermostatic switch is incorporated in millions of electric appliances worldwide — the clock was conceived as a tribute to another British inventor, John Harrison. Harrison invented the grasshopper escapement in the early 18th Century, which resulted in extremely accurate mechanical time keeping and was instrumental in solving the Longitude Problem. Taylor's clock, which in entirely mechanical in operation but has no hands, uses a fearsome-looking 'demon grasshopper' as its escapement. 'I... wanted to depict that time is a destroyer — once a minute is gone you can't get it back' Taylor said. 'That's why my grasshopper is not a Disney character. He is a ferocious beast that over the seconds has his tongue lolling out, his jaws opening, then on the 59th second he gulps down time.' It also (purposely) only tells correct time once every five minutes. An excellent video of the clock in action, with an explanation of its workings by its inventor, is available on YouTube."

Comments

Awesome

[mazarin5]

That's just awesome. It looks like a grasshopper walking along the top. Lights spiral out from the center, until it reaches the creature, and then it starts again.

But it says that it doesn't have hands - it has LEDs all around it, which displays the time. I think that's pretty much the same thing, no?

Just a clock

[globaljustin]

Misleading description...from TFA:

The author of A Brief History of Time was guest of honour when the unique clock, which has no hands or numbers, was revealed at Corpus Christi College.

Yeah, so the only think Hawking had to do with this clock is: he was a guest at its unveiling.

But the clock is only accurate once every five minutes - the rest of the time the lights are simply for decoration.

And the clock itself really isn't much of a clock. The only mildly interesting thing about it is the "time eating" grasshopper that travels around the outside.

Magnificent

[Mortiss]

It is just like in the "old days" when the clocks were made by artisan-watchmakers and could be afforded by only the elite few. Something akin to Nuremberg eggs from the 16th century. http://www.love-watches.com/Invention-Watch.htm

Technology?

[Dun Malg]

Who tagged this "technology"? This is 100% art. It uses nothing more technologically noteworthy than a bunch of blue LEDs and a grasshopper escapement. The irritating blue LED has been annoying us as we try to sleep for the better part of a decade, and the grasshopper escapement is almost 3 centuries old. Personally, I think blue LEDs are generally the sign of an INFERIOR designer. Too many things nowadays have bright flashing blue LEDs for no other apparent reason other than "look! we have bright blue LEDs now!"

Re:Technology?

[sa1lnr]

I'd call it craftmanship, engineering and art all rolled up into one.

Re:Technology?

[Guppy06]

"This is 100% art. It uses nothing more technologically noteworthy than a bunch of blue LEDs and a grasshopper escapement."

Because a mechanical timepiece isn't "technology?" Or does it only qualify as "technology" if it's less than ten years old?

"and the grasshopper escapement is almost 3 centuries old."

Does it no longer work? Has the warranty expired?

Without external communications capabilities (e.g. WWVB or NTP), I guarantee you that this clock keeps more accurate time than any timepiece you've ever owned.

Re:Technology?

[adisakp]

Who tagged this "technology"? This is 100% art.

I disagree -- this is definitely Technology as well as Art. There's no reason it has to be only one or the other. Besides, the ancient Greeks felt all technology was art. The word "technology" itself comes from the Greek root "techne" which means art or skill.

Not all technology is computers and transistors. Technology has existed and improved throughout the ages, from the ability to make fire and work with tools to the creation of the wheel. Clocks and geared mechanisms certainly make for interesting technology from large computers such as Babbage's Difference Engine to portable devices such as the Antikythera mechanism.

It would be possible to even have "modern" technology without transistors although perhaps it wouldn't be the same as the high tech steam powered science of the Steampunk Genre.

LEDs

[John Hasler]

He blew it. He sould at least have used a carbon-arc and hundreds of mirrors and lenses.

Re:beautiful but

[fucket]

My best guess would be THE TIME CUBE

The human Cubic who rotates a 4 corner stage family rotating metamorphic lifetime.

Earth is composed of opposite hemispheres which rotate in opposite directions - equal to a zero value existence (plus & minus). As entity, the opposite hemispheres cancel out. Earth exist as 4 - 90 degree opposite corner quadrants, but not as a 360 degree circle. Earth is Cubic opposites, nothing as circle.

And, thus, the clock keeps going.

Re:beautiful but

[justdaven]

This is Douglas Adams. A quote from Hitchhiker's guide...

Re:beautiful but

[spazdor]

Only on /. could you be modded Insightful for citing Time Cube.