Administrivia - Billion Second Day

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Tue Sep 11 22:23:59 2001

On Tue, 11 Sep 2001, Geoff Roberts wrote:

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Don Maslin" <donm_at_cts.com>
> To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 2:06 PM
> Subject: Re: Administrivia - Billion Second Day
>
>
> >
> >
> > On Mon, 10 Sep 2001, Chris wrote:
> >
> > > >So... what are the most outstanding examples of classic systems
> whose
> > > >timekeeping mechanisms have withstood the passage of time
> (including any
> > > >that would have if they were still running today)?
> > >
> > > Big Ben in London? :-p
> >
> > Relative youngster! What comes to mind immediately - and I know that
> > there are older ones - is the chiming clock in the Piazza San Marco of
> > Venice that has been telling time since prior to 1492.
>
> Remember seeing something on Discovery about a recently restored clock
> dating from the 13th or 14th century, it has no face, (by design - not
> because it lost it) just sounds a bell at the appropriate hours/half
> hours IIRC.
> Somewhere in England. Can't recall where now..
>
> Cheers
>
> Geoff in Oz

There are a number of rather remarkable ancient (by anyones definition)
clocks in the world with such capabilities as telling phases of the
moon, star positions, etc. that I, unfortunately, do not remember.
Actually, I cited the Venetian clock because it made such an impression
on me when I saw it thirty years ago that it was the first (and only
definitive example) that came to mind.

                                                 - don
Received on Tue Sep 11 2001 - 22:23:59 BST