Pass notes: the Chronophage clock

An enormous new clock that appears to ‘eat time’ is being unveiled at London’s Science Museum Age: Brand spanking newish. Appearance: A dinner gong getting intimate with a fly. The Chrono-what clock? Chronophage . It comes from the Greek, of course. Of course. And means “time-eating”. It’s the Time-eating clock! And what’s a clock? It’s an instrument for telling the . . . Oh, ha ha. And we’re talking about it because . . . ? Because G2 is paying us to. The readers can’t see this, but I’m making one of those flourishy hand gestures . . . Careful! . . . one of those flourishy hand gestures that means, “Go on.” And also because it’s a very special clock. London’s Science Museum , where it goes on show today, calls it a “genuinely new way of presenting time”. And is it? Sort of. There is an older model, but it’s in some lah-di-da Cambridge college, so no one’s seen it except some floppy-haired Jeremys. Up the revolution! How does it work? It’s full of boring old springs and stuff. I’m making that gesture again. What is interesting is the face: a big golden disk with a hungry mechanical insect on top. If I may quote the press release . . . That is how journalism works. “The Chronophage shows time in a way that causes its viewers to reflect on the very nature of time measurement. Some minutes race by, others drag, some disappear and others appear to stand still. Every five minutes the clock corrects itself and accurate time is shown through light slits, as the Chronophage is without hands or numbers. The hour is tolled by the sound of a chain clanking into a small wooden coffin . . .” Oh, bloody hell. It’s art. No, it’s a “fusion of art and technology”. More than 100 people worked on it, including engineers, jewellers and calligraphers. Have we mentioned that the face was shaped by underwater explosions ? As for inventor John Taylor . . . Please tell me it’s the one who used to be in Duran Duran. I can’t! But he was responsible for the cordless kettle! Do say: “This subject’s so fascinating even Pass Notes can’t bugger it up.” Don’t say: “Back to normal tomorrow?” Engineering guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 17, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.